Little Bat from the Dungeons
by HopeCoppice
Summary: Gryffindor wasn't the ONLY House to receive new students that year. So what were the Slytherins up to while Harry, Ron and Hermione searched for the Philosopher's Stone? Slight AU & dates moved so the Trio start at Hogwarts in 2001.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Sorry if the whole idea of Snape as the 'big bat from the dungeons' is someone else's pet phrase; if you were the first to use it let me know and I'll credit you. As far as I know though, it's in widespread use across the board. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter – if you do, please read and review! My writing style's a bit rusty from lack of use, so please let me know what I can improve. Anyway, with no further ado… Enjoy!**

The eleven year old twisted a strand of her long, dark hair around her finger as tears streamed down her face. It should have been raining; in books it always rained at times like these. At funerals. Instead, the sky was merely overcast. 'It should be raining.' The pale man beside her muttered, startling her out of her thoughts. She glanced at him, but he didn't even seem to realise he had spoken. Her eyes flicked back to the silk-wrapped body lying at the front of the modest crowd. As she watched, the cloth was swept aside by the wind and she gazed for a moment on her mother's face before the wind dropped and it was covered again. She was alone in this world now. Beside her a voice whispered 'Goodbye, Aunt.' As if on cue, bright flames leapt up and when they receded, a black granite tomb was all that remained.

She stood there in that dismal graveyard for hours after all the officials had gone. She had nowhere to go now, no-one to turn to. 'Cousin?' She tore her eyes from the grave at last to find the pale man beside her again. 'Ready to go?' She'd only met him today, or at least if she had met him before she must have been too young to remember. But her mother's will was magically binding; since the death of her sister some years previously, she had entrusted the care of her daughter to the nephew she hardly knew. The two families hadn't spoken since the younger of the two women had scandalously married a Muggle. And the one-night stand which had led to the forlorn orphan girl now standing in the graveyard had done nothing to improve relations between the two families.

Now she looked up into her cousin's dark eyes and took a deep breath. 'I'm ready.' He offered her his hand and she gripped onto it tightly. As they left the cemetery together, it began to rain.

The house was beginning to become familiar now. She knew the floorboard that creaked outside her cousin's room; more importantly, she knew how to avoid it. She could map the rooms in her mind as she crept through them in the dark night. But it wasn't home; not yet, not really. It wasn't even as if she was staying there; tomorrow she was moving again, thanks to that stupid owl. She wondered how long it would be before anywhere felt like home. Slipping into the study, she curled up with a dog-eared old Defence Against the Dark Arts book, straining to read it in the minimal light from the window. Before she had reached the end of the page, she had fallen asleep.

Her cousin crept to the doorway and allowed himself the smallest of smiles at the sight. She hadn't slept in her own bedroom for three nights now. At first he had resented the little girl who was intruding on his space, taking up _his_ rooms in _his _house. Soon, however, he had grown quite fond of the studious youngster. She'd been beginning to get her spirit and sense of humour back, and she was quite affectionate at times. He was a little worried about her; she didn't seem to trust him yet – every time he reached out and thought he'd won her over she would push him away. But it had been a mere six months since her mother's death, and that affected a child. He'd been older than her, a fifth-year when his own mother passed away, and it had sent him right off the rails for a while. He was sure that being with kids her own age, rather than cooped up with him as she had been all summer, would do her a world of good.

Only hours later, he helped the little girl on to the train and stood back, blinking hard at the sight of her, already dressed in her new uniform, clutching a small cage and blinking back at him. "But why do you have to look different?" She whispered as he gave in and gathered her into his arms for a last hug. "So that people don't get jealous of you for having such a great cousin." He muttered. She laughed at that. "You're silly. And blond hair doesn't suit you." He smiled. "No. I'll see you soon, then. Be good and be safe, alright?" "I will. I don't think the train will hurt me." It was his turn to laugh. He gave her a final hug, stepped back and closed the door as the great scarlet steam engine began to pull away. He watched, waving, until it steamed around the corner and out of sight, then turned on his heel and was gone.


	2. The Sorting

**A/N: Sorry if the whole idea of Snape as the 'big bat from the dungeons' is someone else's pet phrase; if you were the first to use it let me know and I'll credit you. As far as I know though, it's in widespread use across the board. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter – if you do, please read and review!**

Cassie stood among the other first-years huddled in the massive Entrance Hall. She had never seen anything like Hogwarts in her life. On the way to the castle, most of the new students had simply gazed about them in awe at everything from the boats that had brought them across the lake, through the beautiful grounds and the enormous man leading them through them, to the castle itself, towering proudly over them all. Now that Mr Hagrid had left them, however, the first tentative conversations between the new students could be heard.

"What's going on?" A small, round-faced boy asked the girl beside Cassie. To her surprise, the girl handed him a toad before replying, "Well, I read in _Hogwarts: A History_ that there's some sort of test to see which house you should be in. I hope I do well, I've been practising all summer…" The boy gulped, and Cassie hoped the girl was wrong for his sake. Nobody had ever mentioned a test to her. Behind her she was aware of some boys having what sounded like an argument - already. "I think I can decide who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks." The speaker was a dark-haired boy with glasses. She knew who he was, of course. Turning dismissively away from him was a blond boy with a pale, pinched face. He seemed vaguely familiar. She was about to ask him his name when the enormous doors to the Great Hall swung open and they were led inside by a stern looking woman who introduced herself as Professor McGonagall.

As they walked up the centre aisle, Cassie didn't know where to look. The ceiling was doing a very accurate impression of the slightly stormy sky outside, and she jumped as lightening flashed. Looking around, she saw that many of the other first-years also looked more than a little on edge, much to the amusement of the older students on either side of them. To her left sat a table of solemn-looking Hogwarts pupils who she assumed, from the colours they were wearing, to be Ravenclaws. To her right, the Hufflepuffs were beaming benevolently down on the new kids. At the edges of the hall, two more houses sat in silence – she knew these must be Slytherin and Gryffindor, but she wasn't sure which was which, with the others in the way. All these people seemed as huge and terrifying as the school itself, and Cassie stared at her feet, wishing she wasn't there. She hadn't seen this many people in at least six months. As they drew to a halt at the front of the hall, she struggled to control her breathing and an antique-looking wizard's hat which had been singing raucously as they entered brought the tune to an end.

At the staff table, the Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore was watching the new students as Professor McGonagall started to call names. "Abbot, Hannah." The girl looked terrified as she stepped forward, and pleasantly relieved to find that the most taxing thing required of her was the wearing of a battered old hat. Meanwhile, Professor Snape, Potions Master, was doing his very best to ignore Professors Flitwick and Sprout, who were whispering across him. "A Galleon on the small round one with the toad – bound to be in Hufflepuff." The tiny Charms teacher shook his head. "I'll take that bet, he looks like Frank and Alice Longbottom and they were both Gryffindors. If he's any relation, he's more likely one of Minerva's than one of yours, I reckon."

Professor Snape sighed as "Longbottom, Neville" was sorted into Gryffindor and Professor Sprout reluctantly passed a gold coin to her colleague. His attention was caught by a small girl in the dwindling clump of first-years. Barely aware that the famous Harry Potter was now sat on the wooden stool on the stage, she seemed to be wobbling dangerously. A freckled, red-haired boy glanced away from the Sorting of his new friend and grabbed her arm, too hard, in an attempt to keep her upright. The girl looked up at him, shook her head and pulled away. The redhead apologised, looking apologetic but staying close as the girl continued to sway unsteadily. Snape looked closer. Wasn't that…?

"Prince, Cassandra." She looked up, panic-stricken, at the sound of her name. She couldn't do this, not with all these people watching. What if she was sorted into a house her cousin didn't like? Her eyes found the staff table, and alighted on a pair of eyes locked with her own. Suddenly confident, she climbed the stairs and sat down. _Well, well. What to do with you?_ Cassie was a little unnerved by the voice in her head. _Don't worry. I'm just saying, you're a real mixed munch this year. Lots of you could be in any House at all, very balanced personalities. So. Well, you're bright; I can tell that straight away, Ravenclaw would love to have you. But you're brave, strong, loyal too, so perhaps Gryffindor…? No, there was another very smart girl I sorted into Gryffindor earlier, and we can't have all the clever students in the same house, can we? _The hat was silent for a second and Cassie shifted uncomfortably on the stool, aware of the many eyes watching her. In the mix she could see various people she recognised from the train – she'd spent most of the journey reading, however, and none of the faces matched up to names. People were beginning to cast glances across at each other, wondering what was taking so long, she was sure. _Yes, I'm still here. Right, well, you're far too competitive to be comfortable in Hufflepuff. Normally, of course, I'd put you in Ravenclaw without a second's thought but there's something about you… You're clever, but not just academically. Cunning, subtle. Hmm…I haven't made a decision like this in twenty years. You're very like… Yes, yes, definitely. _"SLYTHERIN!"

As Professor McGonagall lifted the hat from her head, Cassie turned towards the cheering table to her right. A few minutes later, after the red-haired boy who'd been so helpful was happily ensconced next to Harry Potter at the Gryffindor table, and the Headmaster, blue eyes twinkling, stood up to say a few words. Cassie didn't even hear them as she was distracted by the glorious array of food materialising on plates in front of her. As the feast began, she reached for a chicken drumstick, only to find her hand colliding with that of the boy next to her. He apologised and gestured to her to take one first. "Don't be silly, it's a big enough plate for us both to take one!" He shrugged and helped himself. Cassie wiped her hands quickly on her napkin and offered her hand to shake. "I'm Cassie Prince." He wiped his hands delicately on his own napkin and touched hers, inclining his head in a bow. "Draco Malfoy. It's a pleasure to meet you. And these oafs…" The two boys either side of him drew themselves up to their full (considerable) heights and puffed out their chests proudly at the word 'oaf'. "…Are Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle." They grunted in greeting and buried their faces back in their food. "They've decided to be my goons, it seems." Cassie smiled at him. They returned to the task at hand – filling their faces with as much food as possible. "Mm, Cassie, try the treacle tart, here-" "Thanks. Oh, you lot will love this cheesecake – how is it possible to get this much sugar into one dessert?"


	3. Settling In

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though!**

**A/N: Please remember as the story progresses that it is set in an AU and I am going to take it off on tangents at points! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter – if you do, please read and review!**

When all the plates were clear, the Headmaster stood again and reminded the students that entry to the Forbidden Forest was – amazingly – forbidden, that students outside of their Houses after hours would be punished severely, and that a full list of banned Zonko's products could be found on the office door of Mr Filch, the caretaker. "I heard he's a Squib." Draco whispered confidentially to Cassie, who nodded, although she couldn't see how that would affect his caretaking ability. Dumbledore cleared his throat again. "I would also like to add that the second corridor on the third floor is out of bounds this year, to all students who do not wish to die a very painful death." Draco snorted at that, and he wasn't the only student who laughed. However, the elder students looked grave – Dumbledore didn't usually joke about these things. The first-years' giggles died down and an uncomfortable quiet settled upon the hall, interrupted only by muttered speculation about the warning. "Prefects, take the first-years to their dormitories, if you would. No doubt you will all want to get a good night's sleep before your lessons start tomorrow."

The new Slytherins came to a halt in a seemingly empty corridor in the dungeons. One of the Prefects pulled out a list of names. "Right, I just got these off the Headmaster, who had them noted down during the Sorting. Any of you want to walk away now? I can assure you I will be hexing anyone here who's not on this list." Nobody moved, though a few eyes widened. What if there had been a mistake and they weren't on the list after all? After a tense few minutes, the first-years were given the password to the common room and a door appeared in the wall. They scrambled inside to be met by their new Head of House. "Welcome to Slytherin House. I apologise for the long wait at the door; a couple of years back the infamous Weasley twins slipped into Ravenclaw 'just to see what it was like' and since then we've had to be more careful who we give our passwords to. In any case, Slytherin is the greatest and noblest of all the Hogwarts Houses, and I expect you to live up to the standards I, as your Head of House, demand of you over your time here. For example, Slytherin have won the House Cup for so many years in a row that I can't even remember the exact number. You'd have to ask the Head of another House; they've definitely been keeping count! Now, the Prefects will show you to your dormitories in about half an hour, after which time I suggest you stay there for tonight. Thank you." A Prefect stepped forward. "Thank you, Professor Snape. Do you mind if I have a quick word with you about duties?" The two of them swept out of the room; well, Snape swept and the Prefect scurried. Cassie watched them go. Draco turned to his 'goons'. "Well, he looked like a lot of fun. Not." A boy in the corner looked around and Draco smiled.

Cassie was sat on a four-poster bed in her new dormitory. Beside her, two more girls were sat on their beds also; one, like Cassie, lacked anywhere else to go – the other was guarding her territory. Their other two dorm-mates were fighting over who should have the bed by the window. Pansy, fiercely dominating the other bed nearest the window, picked a girl and barked at the other to back off. This done, introductions were made. "I'm Pansy Parkinson. Who are you?" The other girls hastened to answer. "I'm Felicity Randall. This is Lucille Jacques." Cassie looked up. Felicity looked like the complete opposite of Pansy, with blonde hair cut into a short bob. Lucille glared at her from beneath her red hair. "It's Lucy, not Lucille. I dropped that when we left France, six _years_ ago." She tossed her dark ringlets back. Pansy grinned. "So, can you do a French accent then?" "Yes." Lucy replied. There was a minute's silence. "So, gonna demonstrate?" Pansy prodded. "Not right now." Lucy rolled her eyes and lay back on her bed (the one nearest the window). Pansy folded her arms and looked as if she was about to shout at the French girl when suddenly a voice piped up. "I'm Kenya-" Pansy shot her a withering look. "Who asked you? Who even cares? You might as well not even be here." Kenya curled her knees up to her chin and was silent. A few minutes later she pulled the curtains around her bed. Cassie hadn't spoken a word to anyone. Within ten minutes of Kenya's disappearance behind the curtains, she began to close her own. Pansy called across to her before she could, however. "And you? Who are you?" Cassie sighed. "Cassandra Prince. Good night."

--

The next morning when Cassie awoke, it was to the sounds of three girls giggling and squabbling in front of the mirror. She lay still for a moment, struggling to get her bearings. She was in a bed. Yes. It was a four-poster bed. Yes. The curtains were green. Yes. There was a crest carved into the bedstead. So… Cassie blinked. She was at Hogwarts! Hurriedly she leapt out of bed, glancing at the clock as she did so, and pulled on her robes. She had packed her bag for the day during that interesting conversation the previous evening, so she just grabbed it as she pulled a brush through her hair and dashed off to breakfast. Before she left, however, she glanced across at Kenya's bed. It was only ten past six, but the girl had already gone.

Walking into the Great Hall, Cassie was once again hit by the sense of awe that had filled her the first time. Hardly anyone was in here, but those who were would not run out of food any time soon (although the Hufflepuff boys in particular were really shovelling it away). Some of the staff were at the Top Table but the entire hall was quiet and peaceful; Cassie could hear her own boots clicking on the stone floor as she crossed it to get to her House's table. At first glance, it appeared to be deserted apart from a few seventh-year boys who didn't seem to be eating, but were just scowling menacingly at a couple of second year Gryffindors with bright red hair. The younger boys were ignoring them, too far away and too engrossed in their lively game of Exploding Snap (they seemed to be gambling sausages) to care about the looks they were getting off of other students. Cassie, however, was a little scared of the older Slytherins and gave them a wide berth, heading to the other end of the long table. As she continued along the table, she noticed a figure hunched over a book, as far as she could get from everyone else. The girl seemed vaguely familiar. "Kenya?" The auburn-haired first-year looked up, tears streaming down her face, eyes blazing. "Kenya? What's wrong?"

"Is Pansy with you?" Cassie sneered in disgust without even realising she was doing so. "Pansy? No! I wouldn't go within arm's reach of her, ever if I could help it. Unfortunately, we're dorm-mates so we'll all have to try to get along. But not at breakfast." Kenya smiled, looking relieved, and gestured to the seat beside her, which Cassie took. "In case you didn't catch it last night, I'm Cassandra - Cassie. What are you reading?" Kenya glanced down at the book in her hands and gulped. "_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_. I know it's early for revision, but apparently the Potions Master here is a total dragon and I hardly know anything. I thought, since I have him first lesson…" "Yeah." A voice drawled from behind them. "I heard that too. Prone to giving spot-tests at the start of the first lesson, too. Mind if we join you?" Without waiting for an answer, Draco Malfoy slid into the seat opposite Kenya, shooing Crabbe and Goyle further down the table. A thin, weedy looking boy perched nervously next to Malfoy, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the table in front of him. "Cassie, this is Teddy Nott. Our fathers are acquainted. Nott, this is Cassandra Prince." Now Cassie recognised the boy who had taken such a keen interest in their conversation yesterday. "Well?" Malfoy demanded. "Who's your friend?" Kenya muttered an apology and introduced herself. "Well, I don't recognise the surname, do you, Nott?" The smaller boy shook his head, mouth full of bacon.

Kenya blushed, swallowing a mouthful of toast without chewing in her haste to answer. Draco looked on with one raised eyebrow. "You wouldn't. It's a Kalderash name." The other eyebrow joined the first. "I'm descended from a long line of-" Nott cut in, sneering. "Gypsies. Romanian gypsies." Cassie turned to her new-found friend, eyes shining. Kenya flinched. "Really? That's so cool!" Malfoy and Nott were just staring, wide-eyed. Malfoy recovered his composure first. "So, I hear Snape's really harsh on first-years, but of course he'll go easy on us; he's our Head of House, after all. Remember him, from last night?" Kenya looked less than reassured to discover the imposing man who'd greeted them last night was to be teaching her for – she checked her timetable – six hours a week. Nott chimed in. "And we're timetabled with the Gryffindors; he hates them, so we'll get off lightly, I should think. But they call him the big bat from the dungeons, because apparently he's as creepy as one and twice as deadly…" Cassie listened to all this with growing dismay; she had never heard any of this before.

Before they knew it, it was time to make their way down to the depths of the castle, Malfoy speaking in a harsh, spooky voice as he made exaggerated creeping motions down the stairs. "Into the dungeons we plunge, to do battle with the poisonous Professor, the big bat from below…" The red-headed boy and his legendary friend walked past, sniggering. Draco pulled himself up to his full height as Potter chuckled, "Grow up, Malfoy." The redhead stopped and seemed to be about to address the group, but Draco told them both in no uncertain terms to leave them alone. As they disappeared around the next corner he started muttering under his breath. "The big bat from below… Um, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, Cassie Prince, Kenya Unpronounceable, myself… Six." He raised his voice once more. "Six go down, but will six come up?"


	4. To the Depths

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so is Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Please remember as the story progresses that it is set in an AU and I am going to take it off on tangents at points! Sorry I took so long to update, I had a bit of writer's block (that's also why this is quite short). Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter – if you do, please review!**

**Bored2hyperness: Thanks for your review, I appreciate it!**

Cassie was sitting in the dark, listening to her new Potions teacher picking on the class celebrity. From what she could hear, the Boy Who Lived would be lucky if he still retained that title come the end of term. For some reason, the Professor really seemed to hate him. One thing he clearly didn't hate, however, was Potions. He had delivered a half-hour sermon on what he would teach them and how magical it was. Cassie, for her part, had listened entranced. As he spoke about his subject, his face seemed to light up. Then he had taken the register, and his eyes had fallen on Potter. From then on, it was all scowls and scoldings.

"Miss Prince!" She looked up from her reverie, startled. "I assume you can answer the question I have just asked Mr Potter here? Or did nobody in this class bother to make an effort before the start of term?" She stuttered out a reply. "I-I… Which question, please, sir?" He glared at her. "The difference between monkshood and wolfsbane is…?" "But… There is no difference, sir. They are both the same plant. It's also known as aconite, isn't it sir?" At least he'd asked her something she knew. "Twenty points to Slytherin. Now. For homework…" The class scrambled for their quills.

"Told you he'd pick on the Gryffindors." Draco sauntered smugly back up the corridor, Crabbe, Goyle, Kenya and Cassie in tow. "And that Granger girl! Honestly. Mind you, you weren't too dumb back there either, were you Cass? Bad luck getting grilled first lesson. I wonder why he asked you rather than anyone else?" Cassie stopped, and he turned. "Sorry, guys, I think I left my quill in the dungeon… I'll see you in Charms, OK?" She disappeared back into the shadowy depths of the castle. Malfoy blanched. "She's going in there alone?" Kenya turned to Malfoy, eyes wide. "It was nice knowing her…"

"Professor?" Cassie peered into the gloom. "Severus, are you there?" He swooped on her without warning, fierce scowl firmly in place. "That's Professor Snape to you, Miss Prince. Did you want something?" She gaped at him. "Professor? It's me! I wanted to see if you had a good first day back so far!" He continued to glare. "It's 10am, Miss Prince. My day has hardly begun and already you first-years are driving me mad. Now, don't you have another lesson you should be in?" She stared at the floor. "Yes, Sir." He turned away briefly, and when he looked back she had fled.


	5. A Touch of Class

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so is Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Please remember as the story progresses that it is set in an AU and I am going to take it off on tangents at points! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter (which is hopefully a bit more of a satisfactory length than the last one) – if you do, please review!**

**Thanks to bored2hyperness and risi for reviewing; Yeah, Snape's going to have to sort his attitude out sooner or later isn't he?**

Cassie stared at the feather she was supposed to be levitating. She understood the theory, but she couldn't make her hand lift her wand. She was alone in this stupid school, and what was worse there was nobody at home either. She mentally chided herself. _You don't have a home._ Behind her, Goyle's feather was smouldering gently. "Look, Miss Granger's done it!" Indeed, the witch in front of Cassie was shakily piloting her feather through the air. Suddenly, there was a loud bang from her left. That Irish Gryffindor had blown up his feather and sat there looking midly surprised. Professor Flitwick sorted him out and arrived in front of her desk. "Well, Miss Prince? You haven't raised your wand all lesson. Let's see you try it."

More to make him go away than anything else, Cassie listlessly pointed her wand and muttered the incantation without really thinking about it. "Well, er – yes, very good, Miss Prince. If you could please just see your way clear to letting me back to the ground now?" Cassie wasn't listening. Her eyes were blurred with tears as she thought of how she wished she could write to her mother and have it all made better, and so she was completely bewildered when the Charms teacher suddenly squeaked, "Miss Prince! I will be speaking to your Head of House!" Jumping, she lifted the spell by accident and the Professor fell to the ground, much to the amusement of the rest of the class. "And I shall recommend that he gives you a detention!" Kenya gave her a sympathetic look. Cassie flushed with shame. It just didn't seem fair.

Draco leant over and whispered in Kenya's ear as Madame Hooch took the small round Gryffindor to the hospital wing. Quite frankly, Cassie was glad the lesson hadn't gone too far. The broom had taken quite some time to react to her insistent "Up!" and she had a feeling she was never going to be on the House Quidditch team. "Draco, you wouldn't dare." Kenya giggled, looking shocked. "Watch me. I bet he's on the next train out." The bet was agreed: a Sickle. But who was leaving? Cassie could only wait to find out. Luckily, it wouldn't take long as Malfoy raised his voice.

"Look what the lump dropped!" Harry Potter started towards Malfoy angrily as the Slytherin held up a small glass ball. "Give that to me, Malfoy, it's not yours." Malfoy gave him his very best sneer. "Actually, I don't think I will. I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find. How about… up a tree?" Before Cassie knew it, the blond lad was shooting off into the sky on the tatty school broomstick he'd been holding. Seconds later, the Potter boy followed. Cassie sighed as Kenya craned her neck to watch the progress of the blond Slytherin, startled to hear the freckled boy who seemed to be Potter's best friend exclaim to anyone who'd listen, "Harry said he'd never flown before!". Unfortunately, nobody could really hear him over the agitated squawking of a bushy-haired girl who, Cassie suspected, was already on the potential Prefect list.

Before she knew it, Malfoy was at roof level. He shouted something to Potter and made a motion as if to throw the object he was holding to the other boy. It seemed to slip from his grasp and his eyes widened before he headed for the ground. Cassie saw the tiny projectile racing towards her and drew her wand, quickly casting the first spell she could think of. "_Wingardium Leviosa._" The ball stopped around six feet above her head, and the Potter boy scooped it up, triumphantly. As he landed to cheers from the Gryffindors – honestly, they were so over-excitable – Professor McGonagall strode into the courtyard. "Mr Potter, come with me. Miss Prince, there is no reason for you to draw your wand during a Flying Lesson. Put it away at once! I will be discussing your conduct and that of Mr Malfoy with Professor Snape. And I shall recommend a detention!" With that, she ushered the Boy Who Lived inside. Cassie had a sinking feeling that her next conversation with her Head of House was going to be no more pleasant than her last one.

In the Great Hall at lunchtime, Cassie sighed miserably. "Professor Snape's going to kill you." Kenya told her, unhelpfully voicing her friend's own thoughts. And just to cheer her up, none other than Pansy Parkinson was heading her way. "Cassandra? Professor Snape wants to see you in his office, immediately. He looks angry." Malfoy looked relieved not to be included in the summons, but gave Cassie a sympathetic pat on the arm as she stood and left the room without a word. She was grateful to him, but she thought she might be lucky if the arm in question was still attached at the end of this meeting.


	6. Conflict

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so is Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Please remember as the story progresses that it is set in an AU and I am going to take it off on tangents at points! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter – if you do, please review!**

**Thanks as ever to bored2hyperness for reviewing– I'm glad you liked it! ******

**Thanks also to risi – we seem to be on much the same wavelength; let's see how Snape reacts to his errant cousin's first day in lessons!**

**Finally – a decent(ish) length chapter! Alert the**_** Daily Prophet**_**!**

"Professor Snape? Pansy said you wanted to see me?"

Snape turned slowly from his desk, where he had been attempting to look busy by rearranging random papers. Unfortunately, he'd have to spend an hour sorting them back out later, as the third-year essays on lacewing lifecycles had become completely muddled with the NEWT mock exams he was about to hand back, having taken them in last year. Pushing this distracting thought to the back of his mind, he glared at the little girl stood before him. "Miss Prince. How in Merlin's name have you managed to get not just one, but two teachers riled up at you in your first day of lessons?"

She launched into a very fast and high-pitched explanation of what had happened at her flying lesson and why she didn't feel that she should be punished for it. Although he only understood about half of what she was saying – how could anyone talk that fast? – he secretly agreed with her. McGonagall always did favour the Gryffindors – apparently she had even convinced Dumbledore to relax the first-year rule in Quidditch – and it was certainly not against school rules to draw your wand in the grounds, particularly under the circumstances the young Slytherin before him had just explained. Indeed, he was mildly surprised that Minerva hadn't congratulated the girl on such quick thinking and easy mastery of a spell that took most first-years at least two days to accomplish. However, something was nagging at the back of his brain. There was something that didn't quite add up.

"And why did Professor Flitwick recommend that I talk to you?"

--

Malfoy was pushing food around his plate, worrying about Cassie and wondering what his own fate was to be at the hands of the infamous Professor. The Slytherin prefects had been generous enough to warn the first-years not to cross their Head of House; while he was renowned for his tendency to let his students get away with murder in front of those from other houses, he was fiercely strict with them in the privacy of his office. Unfortunately for Draco, they had only just decided to make this clear. He pushed a potato across his plate with such violence that it flew off and knocked Kenya's drink over. "Oh dear, is little Draco scared of the big bad Snape?" He turned to come face to face with a sneering Pansy Parkinson. "Well, clearly you are, or you wouldn't be playing owl for him, would you?" Pansy and Draco both blinked in shock. Kenya, the mouse, was making a snappy retort? "Ah, go back to your caravan. Nott told us all we need to know about you." Pansy had recovered quickly and stormed off down the table. As Draco opened his mouth to make a nasty comment about Parkinson's mother and a troll, Kenya fled. Crabbe shrugged and helped himself to what was left of her food.

--

There was silence in the dungeons. A small spider in one of the storerooms crawled out of an empty cauldron and began an arduous climb to the ceiling. Mrs Norris, the caretaker's cat, was pacing solemnly past Snape's office door towards a particularly promising mouse hole. Inside the office, two people stood in silence, one staring out of the enchanted window, one focusing her gaze on the back of his robes, waiting for the inevitable. "YOU _ACCIDENTALLY LEVITATED_ A TEACHER?" The castle shook and the spider fell from the ceiling. Mrs Norris ran to find her master. Cassandra fought the urge to dive under the desk and hide, possibly forever. "What on earth could you have been thinking," Snape continued, lowering his voice slightly as he realised that there were in fact other occupants of the school, "that distracted you enough for you to not focus on a spell - a brand new spell, furthermore – in fact, I think your first ever?"

Cassie met his eye for the first time during their meeting, suddenly defiant. "Well, _sir_, I'd just had a rather unpleasant interchange with my cousin, who is my only living relative, and I was feeling rather miserable and alone. One thing led to another, and I started thinking about my late mother. I should have focused on my spell, of course, and I will take any punishment you see fit to set me, Professor." Having politely but firmly shifted all the blame onto him, she waited to see how he would react. He seemed unruffled, though still clearly furious with her. "I don't see that you have any choice in that respect, Miss Prince. You will serve detention with me on Saturday afternoon, and if I hear any more complaints about you before that time, I will be talking to the Headmaster. You will also apologise to Professors Flitwick and McGonagall, and to Madame Hooch, for disrupting their lessons. I will, however, speak to Professor McGonagall about her harshness towards my House. You may leave; I will give you the specific details of your detention another time." She hesitated until he repeated the command. "I said, you may leave! Don't make me repeat myself again!"

--

Cassie managed to get through the afternoon's classes without further incident, although she had a sneaking suspicion that this was mainly because Professor Sprout's focus in their first Double Herbology was almost entirely on trying to protect her plants from the Ravenclaw students they were sharing the Greenhouse with. They kept trying to take cuttings from various plants around the edges of the room, presumably for later study. When the Professor finally shooed the class from her domain, it was with an air of relief, one which Cassie shared. That is, she shared it until Malfoy pulled her over into the shade of a tree, shooing Crabbe, Goyle and Nott ahead.

"Cassie, could you do me a favour? If I save you a space at dinner, can you check on Kenya? Parkinson made fun of her… exotic… roots earlier, while you were with Snape, and I haven't seen her since. I assume she's in the girls' dorm, or I'd go myself." Cassie nodded and rushed off towards the castle, mentally kicking herself. She'd known Kenya should have been in her Herbology class, but she'd been so busy fuming about Snape and the ridiculous apologies she was going to have to make to Hooch and McGonagall – she accepted that she owed one to Flitwick – that she'd barely spared a thought for her friend's absence. She knew some Slytherins could be pretty snobbish, and from what she understood of her new friend, she was quite sensitive about her family. She hoped she hadn't been crying in the girls' dorm all afternoon.

When she entered the dormitory, it was completely empty. She sat down on her bed to think about where Kenya could possibly be and heard the rustle of paper. She pulled a note from under the green blanket and, wide-eyed, began to read.


	7. Kenya

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so is Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Please remember as the story progresses that it is set in an AU and I am going to take it off on tangents at points! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter – if you do, please review!**

**Thanks as ever to bored2hyperness for reviewing, and also to risi. It would appear that your questions are about to be answered – I hope you aren't too upset with this chapter! I'm very sorry this has taken so long, real life caught up with me rather a lot and I've barely had a spare minute. It's a bit longer than previous chapters though, so please forgive me!**

"Malfoy!" She ran down the Slytherin table, clutching a piece of paper and gesticulating wildly. She must be upset about something; maybe her conversation with Kenya had gone badly. "Draco!" She spotted him and slammed the note into his hand. "Cassie, what-?" She just pointed at the paper and slumped onto the bench beside him. He unfolded it and began to read.

_Dear Cassie,_

_I'm sorry I didn't wait around to say goodbye but I've left Hogwarts. It looks like my parents were right when they said I'd never be accepted at a 'normal' school with 'normal' witches and wizards. You guys have been great but… I know I seem like a total quitter, particularly this early on in the term, but I've put up with this kind of thing before and my only hope that it would go away was Hogwarts. I'm going home to my family, to learn the family trade and get on with life. Please thank Draco Malfoy for treating me like a human being, and thanks to you too of course. I'm sure we'd have become great friends if we'd spent longer together. I'm sure the school owls could find me if you wanted to keep in touch?_

_Kenya Caldararu_

He read it again to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "She's gone?" Cassie nodded. "What can we do about it, Draco? We can't just let her go, she's my only friend in the dorm… I can't deal with Pansy on my own." He stood. "Surely the school won't just let her walk out? We'll have to go to Snape." Cassie shook her head, sure that the Professor would be less than sympathetic to the first two Slytherins to get into trouble this year. "Let's just go straight to Professor Dumbledore. He's in charge, I'm sure he'll know what to do. Even if he is a bit mad…" Malfoy frowned at her for a moment before agreeing. They stood and left the great hall without a word to anyone else.

--

Snape stirred seven times clockwise, once anti-clockwise, and repeated the process. His anger was simmering like the potion he was preparing. How dare the girl blame her foolishness on him? He was her teacher here at Hogwarts, and nothing else. Here, there were plenty of other people she could rely on; she was sure to have made at least one friend by now, as the first-years tended to bunch together for comfort in their first few days at school. There was no reason she should be counting on him to look after her. That was what house-elves were for, after all.

The summer had been surreal; Spinner's End had never been so gloomy as the day the child had first arrived. However, as she'd settled and begun to come to terms with her mother's death, it had been almost as if he had a friend living there with him. Her boundless energy had amused him to watch, and he'd tried to make her like him. But he had been all she had then; she didn't need him during the school year. If there was one thing he could not stand, it was becoming close to people – not since his own schooldays had he allowed anyone to actually get beneath the harsh exterior and discover the warm side of Severus Snape. He wasn't even sure if it existed any more.

The potion complete and bottled, he headed for the Hospital Wing. He wasn't sure why Dumbledore, as head of the Hogsmeade Amateur Dramatics Troupe (known behind their backs as the Headmaster and Assorted Daft Thespians), had suddenly decided that their leading lady in _Romeo and Juliet_ needed to take the actual potion on stage, but he was sure of one thing; he wasn't trusting Albus to take care of the damn thing. The old man would probably give the thing to Fawkes if he thought the bird was having nightmares… No, he would be leaving it in Poppy's securely locked medicine cabinet – with any luck, she'd be able to use it on a student while he was convincing the Headmaster to reconsider his idea.

As he turned the corner out of the dungeons, robes billowing in a dramatic way he felt must look rather fetching, he almost collided head-on with a pair of skittering first-years. He waited for the grovelling, preparing his best sneer. But when he looked down at them, they were already half-way up the corridor. He turned on his heel and allowed the sneer to take over.

"Miss Prince! Mr Malfoy! Come here." They turned and slowly crept back down the hallway towards him, looking disappointed and fearful. "Where exactly are you two rushing off to in such a hurry?" They exchanged glances before the boy hesitantly answered. "Kenya's gone, sir. And we want her back." "And what business is it of yours who attends or leaves Hogwarts?" He replied silkily, raising an eyebrow. They lowered their eyes. He was about to walk away from them again when the girl spoke. "Um… Professor? Since you're here, could you please help us?" He waited impatiently for her to continue. "See, some of the first year Gryffindors said Slytherin were rubbish so we said we bet we could complete any challenge before they could. They're probably cheating though. We have to get to the Headmaster's Office before that Harry Potter does. Except, we don't know where it is."

--

Outside the Headmaster's Office, he gestured towards the two stone gargoyles that flanked the door and stalked off. "Right. Well done, Cassie, that was well done." Draco congratulated his friend. "Thanks. Now… How do we get in?" With a smirk, the boy turned towards the stone gargoyles. "Watch and learn."

"Good evening… er… gentlegoyles. I'm Draco Malfoy and my friend here is Cassie Prince. How are you this evening?" The gargoyle on the left looked startled. "Um… We're alright, thanks. I'm Caleb and this is Ross." Draco smiled at each of them in turn. "It's a pleasure to meet you. You're the most famous gargoyles in the school, you know. Everyone's in awe of you." Caleb smoothed his stone wings proudly as Ross replied. "Well, thanks, laddie. Is there anything ye wanted?" It surprised the students that the latter gargoyle spoke with a broad Glaswegian accent, carved from stone as he was. "Not particularly – oh, wait. There was something. Could we make an appointment with the Headmaster, as soon as possible? Do you know who we'd have to ask?" Ross opened his mouth wide and all signs of sentience seemed to leave the gargoyle's body. His companion smiled at Cassie, who seemed quite alarmed by this turn of events. "Ah, don't worry, miss. There's nothing wrong with him. He'll be back soon enough, you'll see. He's just checking with Profess-" Ross reappeared. "Professor Dumbledore's free and can see you now. Step inside and don't be nervous – he's a bit mad, but brilliant." Draco bowed deeply to the gargoyles and Cassie waved shyly as the guardians leapt aside to grant them entry to the office. As the door closed behind them they heard Ross mutter to his companion. "Well, those Slytherins seemed nice; I don't see what all the fuss is about."

--

"Severus, thank you for the potion. I'll try to use it all up before opening night, but short of slipping it into the Headmaster's pumpkin juice at breakfast tomorrow I don't really need it." Poppy Pomfrey locked the phial in her cabinet and turned. The two teachers regarded each other quietly for a moment before both speaking at once. "Can't you talk him out of it?" Snape sighed and lowered his eyes. "I'll try, Poppy."

--

"Professor Dumbledore… We came to see you about our friend Kenya." The Headmaster looked up from a dog-eared script for _'Romeo and Juliet'_ and gestured for the pair to sit down. "Ah, welcome, Miss Prince, Mr Malfoy. Lemon drop?" Cassie took a sweet but Draco demurred in favour of continuing to speak. "You see, she's run away, and we want her back." The Headmaster folded his hands before him and listened as the two first-years explained the situation.

"Well, much as I'd like to be able to help you both, I'm afraid I can't hold Miss Caldararu here against her will, and she has now officially left Hogwarts, however lamentably early. I'm sure she will find the cauldron-making trade very interesting. A fascinating art, cauldron-making; quite as much magical skill involved as in wandlore. A new student is taking her place, and she was delighted to be offered tuition here at Hogwarts, as she had been forced to apply late to Beauxbatons due to a lack of room here. Please make her welcome, and be sure to keep in touch with Kenya; I'm sure she'll value your friendship. Now, please take a lemon sherbet and get off to your lessons. You wouldn't want to be late – and besides, I believe I have an appointment arriving by Floo in five minutes."

Outside, Ross took one look at their disappointed faces. "Didn't go well then?" They shook their heads. "But thank you for helping us out." Both gargoyles grinned. "Anything we can do. You're good kids, we can tell that. Best not be late for lessons though!" They hurried off.

--

Snape stepped out of Dumbledore's fireplace and wearily took the proffered lemon sherbet. "Albus, for the last time, please reconsider using that potion in the play?" The Headmaster lowered his voice confidentially and leaned in towards his Potions Master as he confessed, "I have no choice. The performance is tonight and my leading lady still can't keep still in her death scenes." Snape sighed, knowing when he was beaten. "So, what did you call me here to talk about?" Albus stood and wandered across the room to study a piece of paper by the perch of his phoenix, Fawkes. "It's all to do with the first-year, Miss Caldararu of your House."

--

The following morning, Madame Pomfrey found herself fussing around the bed of a young woman with bubblegum pink hair, who had fallen into a deep sleep the previous evening and had yet to wake. She was hoping to become an Auror and really should have been spending the time studying for the Ministry exams. Instead, she was lying comatose and being fed Pepper-Up Potion once every two hours.

In the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall was conversing quietly with the Headmaster. All eyes turned to them when she suddenly burst out, "You overdosed her by HOW MUCH?" Such was the commotion that nobody even noticed when a new face appeared at the very end of the Slytherin table.


	8. A Very Bad Idea

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so is Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Please remember as the story progresses that it is set in an AU and I am going to take it off on tangents at points! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter – if you do, please review!**

**Thanks as ever to bored2hyperness for reviewing. Risi, hope you're alright (haven't heard from you in the last chapter or so!)**

"Alright then, how about a duel in the Trophy Room at midnight tonight? Oh, but Potter, you wouldn't know how to do a wizard's duel, would you? Never mind the-" Weasley interrupted. "Course he will! I'm his second, who's yours?" Malfoy seemed to size up Crabbe and Goyle before smirking triumphantly. "Cassie Prince. I can even beat you with a _girl_ on my side." And so saying, he stalked off to the Slytherin table. "Merlin, Cassie. I need to talk to you…"

--

"Draco. We've been pacing this corridor for ten minutes now. What's the problem?" Malfoy glanced up and down the empty corridor, desperate not to be heard, then noticed a door on his right that he somehow hadn't noticed the previous seven times he'd walked past it. Opening it to find an empty classroom, he pulled Cassie inside. "I… um… I may or may not have challenged Potter to a wizard's duel at midnight." She stared at him blankly. "Potter? Harry Potter?" Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Yes. And I said you'd be my second… Is that OK?" She smiled. "I'm honoured… wait, at midnight? Filch would skin us if we got caught!"

He frowned, biting his lip. "I know! I know… We'll tip Filch off and not go ourselves. Then they'll get busted and we don't have to duel-" He was cut off by a screech from Cassie. "Oh no you don't! We're talking about my honour here as well as yours. The worst you could do is shoot sparks at each other, anyway. Reschedule for this afternoon before curfew, and I'll see if I can get someone to lend us a classroom for a study group, of sorts. Maybe the Headmaster; he's all for inter-house unity, from what I've heard. You go and find Potter, and I'll visit Ross and Caleb. OK?" Draco looked far from happy. "Go!" They left the room and scurried off in different directions.

--

"Hey. Potter. Change of plan. We're rescheduling to this afternoon at four, and we're going to try to get a classroom somewhere, so you don't have to worry about breaking the rules or your stupid Gryffindor 'Toe the line' thing. That OK?" Potter looked up at his rival and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, OK. That actually does suit me better. Owl me when you know which room we'll be in. Otherwise I'll assume the trophy room at four. Right?" Draco nodded curtly and left the Great Hall again. That had been easier than expected.

--

"Afternoon, Ross, Caleb. Any chance I could submit this room booking request through you two? It's pretty urgent…" The gargoyles smiled at her and took the proffered parchment. To her surprise, Caleb calmly placed it in his mouth and swallowed it. "Of course, miss. D'you want to wait here for a reply?" They chatted for a while about school and even briefly discussed new architectural styles before a piece of parchment appeared in Caleb's hand. He handed it to her. She glanced at it, hugged them both – a strange experience - and ran off.

"Dumbledore says we can have the Charms classroom on the second floor, provided we accept a couple of amendments to the rules." Draco motioned for her to continue as she paused for breath. "One: He and two other members of staff will be present at the duel. Two: There will be no deadly or dangerous spells cast and therefore the seconds are redundant. Three: The seconds may have their own duel at the same time or have a four-way battle, as agreed by all participants. Sounds fair, don't you think?" He shrugged and reached for a quill. "Fine. But we'd better do the two-against-two option, because I don't want anyone questioning my honour – the Malfoys' honour – if I hex Weasley."

--

"P-P-P-P-Professor D-Dumbledore says he can't make it today after all, students. I will be s-s-supervising your duel, along with P-P-P… your Heads of Houses." Quirrel smiled weakly at them all. Professor McGonagall glanced towards the door and flicked her wand. "Apparently, the Weasley twins have been selling tickets to your fellow students, so some of them will be watching too." Draco let out an impatient sigh as hordes of Gryffindors and a few Hufflepuffs began to stream into the room.

"Face your partners, please." At Snape's drawled instruction, the youngsters lined up, Draco and Harry facing off while Ron and Cassie regarded each other with some apprehension. "Take a bow." They obeyed. "Duel!" Cassie shot some red sparks at Ron and a Gryffindor in the front row of spectators squealed. The other three combatants looked surprised at the ineffective spell, and she used the advantage to put a Leg-Locker jinx on the red-haired boy. He sat down rather suddenly and Cassie kept her wand pointed at him as she turned her attention towards the action between Potter and Malfoy.

Potter sent a Body-Bind at Malfoy, who dodged and hissed, _"Engorgio". _Cassie watched in alarm as Potter began to grow to an exaggerated height, a smug smile on his face. _"Finite Incantatem. Finite Incantatem!"_ It took her a couple of goes, but she managed to restore Harry to his former (less threatening) size. Ron grabbed at her wand from his position on the floor. She shook him off as Draco shouted, _"Wingardium Leviosa!" _and Ron floated helplessly towards the ceiling, moments before Potter sent another Body-Bind at the Slytherin boy. The two 'survivors' faced each other and raised their wands.

"I think we can call it a draw, there; well done to both of you. Mr Weasley, Mr Malfoy, you both duelled well and should not be ashamed of your performances. Fred and George Weasley, you will stay here and we will be making arrangements for half of the ticket proceeds to be donated to St Mungo's. Everyone else, go and do whatever you usually do in your spare time." With this dismissal, McGonagall shooed the students from the classroom (having released the two boys from their enchantments).

To Cassie's surprise, a hand attached to a Gryffindor-robed arm immediately caught hers and pulled her into the next classroom along the corridor.

"What's going on?"


	9. Building Bridges

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so are Laura and Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Please remember as the story progresses that it is set in an AU and I am going to take it off on tangents at points! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter – if you do, please review!**

**Sorry this is a short one, but it's just a filler chapter really. Enjoy!**

_To Cassie's surprise, a hand attached to a Gryffindor-robed arm immediately caught hers and pulled her into the next classroom along the corridor._

"_What's going on?"_

"Sorry about that. I just didn't want to be laughed at for talking to a Slytherin; nobody likes me as it is. Hermione Granger, by the way." Cassie shook the hand she was offered. "I remember you from Charms; first in the class to manage _Wingardium Leviosa, _weren't you? I'm Cassie Prince – I think I have the record for the most destructive use of that spell in one lesson." Hermione giggled. "That might be true. It was a pretty good casting, though – Professor Flitwick must be quite a bit heavier than a feather!" Cassie smiled at her and they continued to chat for a few minutes.

--

"Anyone seen Cassie?" Draco asked his ever-present henchmen. Crabbe and Goyle shrugged. Draco wondered whether he'd done something to upset his friend. She had been acting a little oddly lately. Perhaps she was missing female companionship; lately she had been hanging out exclusively with the three boys and Draco had even noticed a growing tolerance of Pansy and her gang since Kenya's departure nearly a month ago. For some reason, the new girl didn't seem to sleep in the dorms with the other girls. He wandered casually over and sat next to her as she read in the common room.

--

"So, why did you kidnap me anyway?" Cassie joked. "Oh, I wondered how you'd got all those spells working for you so well, and I really just wanted to ask how you convinced Malfoy to do the duel properly rather than at midnight… I was trying to convince Harry and Ron and it didn't go so well." The Slytherin groaned. "I know. Boys… they never seem to think of the sensible option, do they?" Shaking their heads in despair, the two girls parted, promising to meet in the library the next day. Cassie headed back to the Slytherin common room, her brain finally registering that she had done the unthinkable and had a civil conversation with a Gryffindor. She decided not to mention it to Draco.

--

"Where- oh! There you are." Cassie plonked herself into an armchair by the fire, next to Malfoy and his new friend. "Hi, um… Laura?" The girl looked up from her book and smiled. "Hey, Cassie." Cassie blushed, ashamed that the other girl knew her name while she was still guessing. "What are you reading? Anything good?" Laura gave her a wry smile. "_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, _still. I've been reading it since the start of term. It's not very interesting, but I don't want to fall behind…" Cassie laughed. "Did you see the plant called the Hare-faced Pox-gobbler yet?" Laura chuckled and held out the book for Cassie to show her the page.

Draco slipped away to the boys' dormitory five minutes later, leaving the two girls deeply engrossed in conversation.


	10. T' is for 'Troll'

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so are Laura and Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Please remember as the story progresses that it is set in an AU and I am going to take it off on tangents at points! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter – if you do, please review! It really makes me want to write more (I know a lot of people say that but there is a simple reason – it is true!**

**Thanks to bored2hyperness, as ever, for your review – hope you enjoy where the story goes from here, although this particular chapter is more about tormenting various characters than any real plot development – sorry!**

**This goes on for ever, and it took me forever to write... Sorry for the slow update, hope this is worth the wait. If there are any mistakes, it's cos I am uploading very very late at night – early in the morning actually. Anyway. Enjoy!**

It had been nearly two months since the start of term, but far from being bored, the school was buzzing. The Hogwarts Halloween feast was the stuff of legend. Even so, Draco Malfoy had to almost drag his friend Cassie from their last lesson on October the 31st, still clutching a blotched and blotted piece of parchment. "Cass. So your essay got a bit wet somehow. The bits I could read were amazing; he can't have given you that bad a mark for it. Mine was complete and he only gave me the equivalent of an 'Acceptable' for it. Let's see." His friend just clutched the rag closer to her chest. "Cassie, please?" Trembling, she held it out to him and he scanned the note at the bottom.

_3/50 – T (Troll). Cassandra, I am very disappointed in you. Large portions of this essay were hardly legible, and by rights I should give it an 'Ungraded'. However, the few legible passages were of a very high standard, so consider yourself lucky that you achieved the grade you did. In future, be warned that blotting your homework with water to avoid actually completing the task will earn you nothing but a detention._

_Professor Quirrel._

"That's harsh." He handed it back to her. Cassie smiled wanly at him. "That's one way of putting it. At least he didn't go to Snape about it though." Draco nodded. "True. Why does he seem to hate you so much? He lets me get away with murder!" Cassie shrugged and stuffed the essay into her bag. "Come on, we don't want to miss the feast!" As she went to hurry off, her friend caught her arm. Dismissing his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, who still followed him everywhere, he smiled dangerously. "We won't be late. But I have an idea… Let's go and find Laura." Intrigued, she followed him away from the direction of the Great Hall.

--

Snape glanced in a small, dirty mirror on his office wall. He was presentable enough for the feast, anyway. He didn't see much point in making an effort with his appearance these days, but Albus insisted that he look at least smart. Severus tended to ignore these instructions, but tonight in honour of the world-renowned Halloween feast he had put on clean robes that weren't stained from a hard day's potion making. With a glance around to make sure that the room was tidy, he left for the Great Hall, pocketing the key as he went.

--

"How did you know where his office was, Cassie? We'd have got lost coming down here…" Laura was wide-eyed, and rightly so; they were in the deepest, most labyrinthine area of the dungeons. "I've been in detention enough times… Anyway, he probably won't have magically locked the door – he'd assume nobody would find their way this far. _Alohomora." _The lock clicked. "Learned it off… a Ravenclaw, couple of weeks back. Tied in with some folk story about a three headed dog…?" Cassie answered their enquiring looks. Laura looked impressed. "So, Malfoy. What's this plan of yours?" He slipped into the office and emptied his pockets onto the desk.

--

"Dungbombs. Dungbombs are your great idea?" Draco looked affronted. "I never said it was a great idea, just that it was an idea. Besides… it's Dungbombs _and_ an infuriating singing teapot from Zonko's." He lifted the latter object from the desk. Sure enough, it began warbling Celestina Warbeck hits (if you could call them hits) loudly and shrilly, until it was replaced on the desk. Cassie and Laura unfolded their arms, but they didn't seem too impressed. "Fine. Let's get on with it." By the time they left, there were Dungbombs in every drawer, ready to be activated the next time the drawers were closed. When Snape opened them after that, he would get a very nasty shock. The teapot was in the cupboard, where the spare teapot appeared to live; that way there was a second wave of their attack. If they were lucky, the Potions Master wouldn't find the singing teapot until long after the Dungbomb furore had died down. That would teach him to be so horrible.

On the way back up from the dungeons, they came across a hysterical Professor Quirrel. Cassie was tempted to hex him, but she didn't really know any hexes. Besides, Quirrel looked scared enough as it was. As he caught sight of her, he began to yell "Troll! Troll in the dungeons!" and ran out of sight. Cassie's good mood evaporated. "Well, charming! He's never going to let me forget that essay, is he?" Before the others could respond, however, they heard thumping and crashing further down the corridor. Spooked, they ran towards the comfort of the Great Hall and the feast that awaited them there. They had just reached the Entrance Hall when they heard a crash behind them.

"Um… Cassie?" Laura whispered, not sure why she was keeping her voice so low. "You don't think he meant there was an _actual_ troll, do you?" A further crash behind them was all the confirmation they needed. Inside the Great Hall, they could hear a great commotion as students rushed from their seats and were halted by the commanding tones of the Professors. The three Slytherins looked nervously at each other and, since the way back down to their common room was blocked, headed out into the grounds at a run.

--

Snape wasn't deceived by Quirrel's fainting act, not for one moment. While the fool was still lying on his back in the middle of the Great Hall with his eyes closed, Snape turned and whisked out of the room. With any luck, his colleague would be trampled to death by the panicking students, but in case he wasn't, he had to get to the forbidden corridor before Quirrel did.

He took no less than three shortcuts on the way to the third floor, shortcuts he was sure Quirrel couldn't know of. After all, the younger man had only been there for two months. Nonetheless, when he reached the door he was seeking he slipped inside quickly, warily glancing up and down the corridor beforehand. As the three-headed dog before him leered viciously at him, he softly began to sing the first thing that sprung to mind, an old Wizarding ditty.

'_Water, wind and earth and fire,_

_Bend yourselves to my desire_

_Hearth and haunting, land and sea,_

_Bring my true love home to me.'_

He smiled to himself in the dark as the huge canine heads drooped and a low rumbling filled the room. Severus Snape's voice was probably the best-kept secret in the Wizarding world. At school he hadn't wanted to make himself seem any more of a loser than he already was, and there wasn't much call for singing in the Death Eaters' ranks. As for his colleagues… Well, by the time he took the job at Hogwarts, Severus had very few pleasant secrets of his own. This was one he was keeping to himself, just for the secret pleasure it brought him. He was still humming gently as he heard the door magically unlock itself. Slipping into a corner, he fell silent and watched the door handle turn. He didn't want to help Quirrel by inadvertently showing him how to make Fluffy sleep if he didn't already know. Unfortunately, since the music had stopped, the dog was waking up.

Quirrel slunk inside, a wary eye on the rising dog. "Um… sit?" He muttered. He'd known the dog was here, but hadn't really thought about how to get past it. The dog ignored him and began to come closer to investigate the tiny man in front of it. "Nice d-d-d-doggy?" At that moment, Severus Snape emerged from the shadows and loomed towards him. "Quirrel, get out." Surprisingly obedient, the stuttering professor legged it and slammed the door behind him. Severus cursed as he heard the unmistakeable click of a lock before footsteps fading into the distance. Silently performing the _Alohomora_ charm, he strode towards the door, eager to get out and confront Quirrel. Even as he began to hum to ward off the three headed beast, it grabbed his leg with its teeth. He cursed again and left, limping badly.

--

When the three scared Slytherins slunk in, they found several stressed staff members restoring order in the Entrance Hall and excited students gossiping about heroic Gryffindors as they all returned to their dorms. Apparently the Boy-Who-Lived had taken on a troll. Rolling his eyes at the stupidity of the rumours circulating, Draco led the way back down to the dungeons having been assured the troll was gone. Cassie noticed that Laura stayed very close to him until they reached the crowded sanctuary of their common room.

--

It had been an exhausting night for Severus. Not only had he been mauled by that oaf Hagrid's monstrous pet, but he had also had to deal with various people (Professors and pupils alike) hero-worshipping bloody Potter. All he needed now was to sleep. Returning to his quarters, he stopped in his office on the way. If he remembered rightly, there was a phial of Dreamless Sleep potion tucked away in one of his desk drawers. He opened the drawer to find that his memory had, for once, failed him. He had used the last of it, at Dumbledore's request, to stop McGonagall from seriously injuring him after the _'Romeo and Juliet'_ fiasco. Since then, he had not found the time to brew any more. Something else, however, appeared to have gone off in the drawer. Ignoring the awful smell, he opened and closed a few more drawers in case he had some spare sleeping potions lying around somewhere. The pungent odour simply intensified. Severus sniffed suspiciously and identified the scent as that of half a batch of Dungbombs before gagging violently. He sincerely hoped that the rest of the batch were not in his office as well, but somehow he couldn't quite shake the foreboding feeling that they were. He would find them in the morning though, as, potionless and miserable, he stormed through the portrait at the back of the office and fell grumpily into bed. Heads were going to roll before breakfast.


	11. Snitch

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so are Laura and Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Please remember as the story progresses that it is set in an AU and I am going to take it off on tangents at points! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter – if you do, please review! It really makes me want to write more (I know a lot of people say that but there is a simple reason – it is true!**

**Thanks to bored2hyperness and risi, for your reviews – they are very much appreciated. I should warn you guys that I'm off on holiday for a week from Friday, so I won't be updating any time soon… Mea culpa!**

**Sorry for the slow update, hope this is worth the wait. Enjoy!**

The sun was rising over Hogwarts. Birds were singing, trees were rustling, Hagrid was snoring, and all was peaceful. Only a few brisk footsteps could be heard in the castle, and nobody was awake to pay them any attention anyway. A tall, pale-skinned, dark-haired man slid quietly through a wall and into a comfortable, green-lit room full of well-worn antique armchairs and a few oval-shaped tables. He drew in a deep breath, enjoying the odourless (though not fresh) air in the common room. Then he released it in his usual sinister tone of voice.

"Slytherin! You will all be in the common room in five minutes or suffer the consequences!" He composed his tone a little. "I assure you these will not be pleasant." Removing the _Sonorus_ charm he had cast on himself, Snape listened with satisfaction to the yelps, thuds and general scuffling noises which now reached his ears from the staircases leading down to the dormitories. Less than three minutes later, every Slytherin student from the second year up was crowded into the space around the walls of the room. The first-years took an extra minute, but after a few more months of getting to know their stern head of house, fear would improve their reaction time. For now, however, they were forced to take up the space directly in front of the livid Professor, who was still stood in silence, black eyes regarding them impassively, emanating an aura of cold fury.

"A student – or students – broke into my office last night. Much as I hate to believe that it was one of my own house, I suspect that it was one of you. We will be here until somebody tells me who was behind it. Does anyone have anything to say?" The Slytherins stared dumbly at the floor. "Well then. You had better sit down there and prepare for a long wait. In silence!" The students dropped to the floor where they stood and tried to make themselves as comfortable as possible. Some were still sporting their nightwear, Snape noticed, while others had hurriedly made themselves presentable before ascending the stairs. There was a slight scuffle at the back of the group, as one of the fifth-years almost fell down the steps, he was sitting so close to them. His housemates grabbed him and they continued to sit in silence. It was a mark of their respect, or fear, of the Potions master that the entire flurry of movement had been conducted entirely without human noise.

Cassie glanced across at Draco, who almost imperceptibly shook his head. Laura nudged her friend, who repeated the gesture. They had sat there for only about five minutes, however, when another first-year rose to his feet. _He's not going to take the blame, is he?_ Cassie wondered. _No, that would be stupidly Gryffindor._ Draco turned his head to look at the student who had risen. When he saw who it was, he paled considerably. "I know who it was, sir." Nott said smoothly. "They told me last night. It was Malfoy and Prince." Snape rose from the armchair he'd settled into and made a beckoning gesture. "Thank you, Mr Nott. Five points to Slytherin. Mr Malfoy, Miss Prince, follow me. Miss Smith, you will be accompanying us, since I'm sure these two would not leave you out of what I'm sure was a highly amusing evening." Nott swelled with pride at having gained points for his House, but looked stricken as Snape swept the three troublemakers out of the door.

"I want a word with you all separately. You two, wait outside. Miss Smith, I'll talk to you first. Come with me." He opened the door to his office (no longer _quite_ as malodorous as it once was) and ushered her in before closing the door. "Miss Smith, I'm sure you understand that you are here under special – and very unusual – circumstances. Please do not push your luck by aggravating your teachers. You will be serving detention with Mr Filch for the next week. Do you have anything to say?"

--

"She's been in there ages." Cassie grimaced in agreement. "Do you think he'll ever let us out of detention?" Draco shrugged, but he didn't look hopeful. He was staring at his pale, slender hands. Malfoys weren't supposed to get nervous, especially around teachers who were friends with their fathers. Still… wasn't that even more reason to be nervous? He continued to stare at his hands. Cassie spoke again. "Maybe we shouldn't have done it; I mean, it was a bit harsh." Draco neither moved nor spoke until Laura fell out of the office door. "Draco – your turn…" She grimaced at them both and hurried away.

--

"Mr Malfoy. I'm sure I don't have to explain how disappointed I am in you. I really would not expect this of a pure-blood from such a noble family as your own. However, I will not be informing your father of your actions on this occasion. You will, however, be serving a week's detention with Mr Hagrid." Draco opened his mouth to protest. "You are quite welcome to protest to your father about the matter but you will have to explain to him that you childishly booby-trapped the Head of Slytherin's private office. Feel free. I'll send you a note with the details of your detention later today. Please send in Miss Prince."

--

Cassie was scuffing her shoes on the floor, wishing Draco would come back out and dreading it at the same time. Did she want to get her scolding over with, or could she just hope that maybe Snape would forget about her? No, that wasn't likely – and it was breakfast soon. Draco came out of the office looking paler than usual. "Good luck, Cassie. I'll save you a space at breakfast." He watched her enter the office, timidly nodding her thanks, and wandered away.

--

"Miss Prince." Snape paused. "I really do not know what I can say to get my point through that thick skull of yours. You come from a very good –if poor- family and I'm sorry to see that you are showing none of their noble traits. What on earth possessed you to fill my office with Dungbombs? You will serve a week's-" Cassie looked up from the patch of floor she'd been so intently studying. "You _have_ been beastly to me, sir." "- two weeks' detention with me. One more incident of any sort and I'll make it a month. Understand?" He finished silkily. She nodded. "Then get out of my office."

--

It was the day of the first match of the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup, and the students streamed down to the pitch. Draco, Cassie and Laura were among the throng, clad in green and silver robes and scarves to leave no onlooker in doubt over their loyalties. Recognising Hermione Granger as she passed, Cassie flashed her a grin. She hadn't been in the library for their usual meeting the previous night, thanks to Snape's detention, and the Muggle-born witch still seemed a little shaky after the events of two nights ago. To Cassie's dismay, Draco couldn't resist calling across to the other girl's red-haired companion. "Here, Weasel, where's the precious Potty? Can't bear to see how real Quidditch players fly, I suppose?" Unexpectedly, this comment just caused Ron to twist his features into a passable imitation of Malfoy's own notorious smirk as he continued down towards the pitch. Mystified, the three Slytherins headed for their entrance to the stadium.

As they found seats halfway up the stands, the Slytherin team strode proudly out onto the pitch. Draco had hardly sat down before he was leaping back to his feet, cheering and clapping with the rest of the sea of green engulfing this end of the pitch. As the roars and wolf-whistles died down, the Gryffindor team made their entrance and the other end of the pitch erupted. Though Draco would never have admitted it, he was very interested to see what kind of a team the Gryffindors had scraped together. First the Beaters came onto the pitch, twin red-headed second-year boys wielding clubs the same size as them. Behind them came the three female Chasers and the burly-looking Captain, who played Keeper. There was a slight pause and a very small boy stepped out hesitantly into the sunlight. Draco squinted. It couldn't be. Beside him, Laura stood up to get a better look, shouting over the din of the Gryffindors. "ISN'T THAT-?" Lee Jordan's magically amplified commentary cut her off. "…Gryffindor's new team Seeker, HARRY POTTER!" Cassie shrugged. _Well, that would explain Ron's behaviour._ She couldn't imagine ever admitting this to Draco, but she actually wasn't that interested in Quidditch. What did interest her, however, was the fact that she was sure first-years weren't allowed to play on the house teams. What blatant favouritism!

Soon, Cassie was bored. The flying looked amazing but honestly, there was only so long you could watch it for. Her own flying lessons weren't going as badly as she'd initially thought they would, but she feared she would never achieve the effortless combination of speed and grace the Quidditch players were currently demonstrating. Draco, who had been keeping up a steady stream of mutinous mutterings about the first-year rule and spoilt famous kids who thought they owned the world, suddenly exclaimed, "Look! He's not even that good a flier!" Cassie jerked her attention back to the game. She couldn't immediately identify the Gryffindor Seeker, but then she noticed a broom bucking wildly, apparently out of control. He looked like he was struggling not to fall. The Gryffindor end of the stands were in uproar, and the staff seemed pretty surprised too. In fact, only two people weren't moving. One was Snape, who Cassie thought probably wouldn't have taken his eyes off of the match even if his robes were on fire, and the other was Quirrel, who seemed to be muttering under his breath. Was he jinxing the broom? A few seconds later, as Potter clutched desperately onto his broomstick, it suddenly righted itself and stayed still for long enough for the terrified eleven-year-old to regain his seat. Cassie decided she must have been imagining it. Besides, something was causing a commotion in the staff box – even her usually imperturbable cousin seemed to be taking an interest.

--

Severus Snape was not having a good week, mused McGonagall as she surveyed the spectacle the fool was making of himself. First there had been that limp he seemed to have acquired overnight, then that suspicious smell when he had come down to breakfast this morning… and now this. The man appeared to be losing it; perhaps having a nervous breakdown. She would have to talk to Dumbledore about him – she might even finally be able to remove the professor from his post. She didn't trust him, no matter what Albus said.

--

"THAT WASN'T A CATCH! HE NEARLY SWALLOWED THE DAMN THING!" Draco booed with the rest of the Slytherins, but the whistle had blown; the match was over. Laura thought it must be the first time she'd seen him lose his composure. Cassie noticed it too, and was worried. "Indoor voice, please, Draco; what would your father say?" They passed Potter, heading away from the pitch with his friends, and the girls were reassured. "Get a bit peckish, Potter? That should have been disallowed. Always knew Gryffindors were cheats!"

Cassie sighed as they wandered back to the dungeons. There was nothing wrong with Draco. _Although if he doesn't shut up about Quidditch..._ Pleading unfinished homework, she retreated gratefully to the library, for the sake of Draco's health and the Malfoys' heir.


	12. Many Returns

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so are Laura and Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Please remember as the story progresses that it is set in an AU and I am going to take it off on tangents at points! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter – if you do, **_**please review**_**! It really makes me want to write more (I know a lot of people say that but there is a simple reason – it is true!)**

**Thanks to bored2hyperness for your review!**

**I'm back from holiday now, and since it's now summer break I should have more time to write. When I'm not sleeping, that is. Anyway, here's my next chapter for you. Enjoy!**

"Miss Prince, Miss Smith. What can I do for you today?" Madam Pince whispered across the desk to them, even treating them both to one of her extremely rare smiles. It was mid-November and the faces of the two Slytherin bookworms had become quite familiar – they were in here almost as much as the Granger girl from Gryffindor. "We need to return…" Two huge tottering piles were levitated softly onto the desk – after all, if not handled delicately, that amount of books could cause some serious noise. "…these. Many happy returns!" Cassie winked cheekily at the librarian. Madam Pince nodded to them and Laura went to leave the library. Cassie waved her off and settled at a desk to put quill to parchment.

_Dear Kenya,_

_Miss you loads. How are the cauldrons going? Do yours cost a packet? Because the _Prophet_ says prices in Diagon Alley are set to rocket… Hmm, I might have to switch my suppliers to you instead._

_In other news, there was a troll at Hogwarts at Hallowe'en! Draco, our friend Laura (don't worry, she's nothing like you so don't feel replaced) and I were in the dungeons at the time (rigging Snape's office with Dungbombs – he gave us so much detention for that it's not even funny, I finish tonight) so we missed all the action._

_Classes are going OK. Flying isn't my strong point but we went to watch a Quidditch match the other day and the famous Harry Potter was playing – first-years aren't allowed to of course, but he's a celebrity and a Gryffindor to boot so he could slaughter half of Hufflepuff and get away with it, I expect._

_I'm feeling a bit down today, to be honest. One of those tough days when you've lost a loved one; I read a Muggle psychology book about grief and they say milestones and anniversaries are always hard. Oh well. A dozen years' worth of life should have got me used to bad days by now._

_Please write back with all your news – it's bound to be more interesting than mine – and I really look forward to hearing from you again. Now I've just got to find a school owl without that great big grey brute swooping down and taking my hand off! He's shredded two of my letters to you already – so sorry you haven't heard from me much since you left._

_Cassie Prince_

Sealing the letter into a scroll, Cassie left for the Owlery and was promptly attacked by an enormous grey owl. However, she managed to distract it by throwing some Owl Treats into the corridor, which it followed. Shutting the door on it, she used a smaller, brown owl to send her letter and left.

--

When she arrived at her final detention with Snape, she was covered in scratches and peck-marks. Her stern Head of House, however, merely raised an eyebrow, obviously deciding that it would be a waste of his time and energy to comment, and gestured towards the desk. A little disappointed that he hadn't even asked if she was OK, she settled to her work. As usual, she would be scrubbing every one of the spare cauldrons Snape kept until it shone, before writing one hundred times, _I must behave responsibly towards all members of staff._ No magic was allowed.

Nearly two hours later, her hand felt as if it was going to drop off. For the third time, she counted her lines to see if the end was in sight yet – but this time, it actually was. She scribbled one last line and looked up to the Professor. Before she could even open her mouth to speak, he answered. "If your lines are completed, you may go." He swept out of the classroom, leaving her to pack up her bag and leave. She needed no further confirmation. Cassie swept up her stuff and scurried off towards the common room, ducking down a side corridor to avoid Snape on her way. She _had_ done the lines, but the Potions Master had an uncanny way of making any student feel guilty, even if their record was as unblemished as, say, Hermione Granger's.

Hermione had quietly slid a brown-paper wrapped package across the table in the library at lunchtime, and it was currently buried under the covers of Cassie's bed so that none of the other Slytherins would find it. She was planning to open it when she got back from detention. When she reached the common room, however, she was coerced by Draco and Laura into playing the winner of their wizard's chess game. Laura had only learnt to play at the start of this year at Hogwarts, so it was no surprise when, after ten minutes, Draco had her King cornered and begging for mercy. She resigned and Cassie took her place, resetting all the pieces as they repaired themselves. Draco gave her his competitive look. She settled in for a long and brutal game.

_I must behave responsibly to all members of staff._

_I must behave responsibly to all members of staff._

_I must behave responsibly to all members of staff._

Severus tired of reading the same words over and over again and performed a quick spell to count the lines. New ink appeared on the paper in green before fading. However, before the writing disappeared, Severus was sure he saw two numbers. _100,2._ That meant 100 identical lines and two unique sentences. What on earth had the silly girl added extra lines for? He glanced at the bottom of the parchment and smirked.

_Done, no more detention. _

_Happy birthday to me – best present I could get._

He didn't usually make a habit of correcting students' lines, and he certainly didn't intend to hand it back to her, but he couldn't resist adding just one more line to the piece of parchment.

_We'll see about that._

--

_98, 99…_ "Hey, Pansy. What were you planning to do tomorrow? Thank goodness today is Friday, right?" Pansy laid down her hair brush and looked up at her dorm-mate. "Well, Fliss, I was actually planning to go down to the lake and sunbathe, but it seems the weather forecast is bad so I guess I'm stuck in here. How about you?" Felicity shrugged. "Lucy and I thought maybe we could do something together, the three of us, if you weren't busy. Maybe even Cassie and Laura would want to join in? We all get on OK now, after all." Pansy nodded. "Yeah, they seem alright. I can't understand where Laura was sleeping until she moved in here last month, though. Or why. Sure, let's ask them. But what shall we do?" They fell silent and thought for a while before Lucille walked in.

After fifteen minutes, Lucy spoke. "So, no board games, no makeovers… how about a karaoke night?" The others remained silent for a moment and reached a very swift decision. "Sounds awesome! But we'd better check with Snape about the noise, and he won't like it." Felicity looked downcast as she spoke. Pansy, however, was undeterred. "Then we'll go to Dumbledore instead! Snape can't argue with him, and apparently he loves the idea of fun and games and jolly larks, the daft old coot!" Lucy looked puzzled. "Well, he sounds less strict than Snape. Why don't you like him?" Pansy laughed. "He also loves the idea of inter-house unity and equality for all magical folk, regardless of blood status. Honestly!" They set out, laughing, towards the Headmaster's office.

--

Cassie finally bid the others goodnight and slipped down the stairs into the empty dormitory. There appeared to be an envelope on her pillow. Oh, wonderful. Snape had left her a note instructing her that in future she was to restrict herself to the lines he set her and if her detentions deviated from that, she would have to be prepared for a lot more of them. She had detention next Thursday evening for her cheek, and it would not be lines. _Thanks. I'm glad you're my only family, too._ As an afterthought, it seemed, there was a post script on the letter. _PS: Happy Birthday, Miss Prince._

Fumbling under her sheets, she slipped out the book she'd been given by Hermione, slipping it from its brown-paper wrapping. _Girl Power: Ways for Witches to Maximise Their Magic._ Opening it to the inside cover, Cassie saw, neatly printed on the inside, _To Cassie Prince on her twelfth birthday, from Hermione Granger_ and the date. When she turned to page one, a note fell out.

_Dear Cassie – Happy Birthday! I know you said you don't want a big deal made, or I would have wrapped this in something a little shinier. Anyway, I know it'll be hard for you but do try to enjoy yourself. Don't worry, by the way – the writing on the inside of this book is charmed so that if anyone else looks at it, my name and the date won't be visible. Neat or what? I got one of our Gryffindor Prefects to teach me the charm. Please don't be put off by the title; I bought myself a copy from Flourish & Blotts too and it's actually pretty advanced. It seems women's magic works differently from men's and we're naturally more powerful – that's why witches were persecuted so heavily in the Middle Ages and wizards weren't so much. Interesting, right? I hope you think so, anyway, and I know you're more than capable of understanding everything in this book, and more than likely to master all the spells included in it very quickly! Happy birthday again and many happy returns! HG._

She folded the note again and slid it into a pocket in her bag. It was beginning to get dark, but when she looked up she noticed something blocking some of the moonlight from the enchanted window. It appeared to be a dome-shaped object perched on the end of her bed. "_Lumos._" She crawled along her bed towards it, intending to move it to the owner's bed before going to sleep, and found that her wand tip was illuminating a folded piece of parchment Spellotaped to the item, which appeared to be draped with some kind of fabric. The parchment had her name on it. She picked both the item and the note up and moved to the windowsill, where she lit a candle and unfolded the note.

_I thought it was time you had one of these. Take good care of it. Happy birthday._

Cassie blinked twice. Who had sent her the birthday present? She hadn't even told anyone but Hermione when her birthday was. Besides, what could possibly be in a package that shape? She was almost afraid to open it, since it had arrived in such a mysterious manner, but curiosity eventually got the better of her. She pulled the cover away to reveal a birdcage from which a pair of big amber eyes met hers. Somebody had sent her an owl! An owl of her own, to keep! She could use it to write to Kenya without being mauled, she could write to the _Daily Prophet_, she could write home to her – no. She couldn't write to her mother, of course. But still, she had her own owl! Who would be generous enough to make her such a gift? Opening the cage to allow the bird to hop onto her arm for closer inspection, Cassie noticed that there was a note attached to its leg. After a moment of ruffling the bird's dark head feathers (it was now too dark to make out the actual colour of the bird), the owl held out a leg for her to take the message.

_Eeylops' Emporium: How to Care for your Mixed-Breed Owl  
_

It was an instruction sheet on feeding and handling her new pet, but it also had a hand-written message at the bottom in small, neat writing. _I'm sure you'll soon discover that this is not just any owl. I'll let you work out what other species she's crossed with. I hope you will learn a lot from this owl._

Cassie was determined that she would find her mysterious benefactor's identity and thank them, whatever it took. Before she could begin the search, however, she found her eyes closing as she fell fast asleep.


	13. Do Not Disturb

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so are Laura and Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Please remember as the story progresses that it is set in an AU and I am going to take it off on tangents at points! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter – if you do, **_**please review**_**! It really makes me want to write more (I know a lot of people say that but there is a simple reason – it is true!)**

**Thanks to bored2hyperness for your review, as always!**

**And yeah, I couldn't think of a better title for this chapter, OK? Enjoy!**

Severus Snape cracked an eye open irritably. One glance at the clock confirmed his suspicions; it was two o'clock in the morning and, to make things worse, he had only been asleep for half an hour. Another glance around told him that the potion he had just finished brewing was still safely corked and on his desk in the corner of the room. These two facts in combination meant that there was no reason for anyone to be knocking on his door. This, in turn, meant that whoever was knocking was about to discover the true meaning of pain. He threw open the door.

"Professor?" A terrified-looking first-year peered anxiously up at him. He gave her a death glare, but she continued to squeak. "Professor, I'm sorry to wake you but someone got into the girls' dormitory earlier and what if they're dangerous?" He blinked, grateful at least that he had simply thrown himself onto his bed with his robes on that morning. His pyjamas would have ruined his intimidating effect on students forevermore. "Come in, sit down, and repeat yourself, Miss Prince. And I should warn you – this had better be good."

She didn't even seem to register his last utterance as she perched herself on the very edge of a chair by the desk. "Somebody got in to the girls' dormitory and what if it's someone dangerous? How could anyone get in, and why would they?" He held up his hand for silence. "How do you know somebody got into the dormitory?" She bit her lip, looking guilty. "Before I fell asleep… I found that something had been very carefully put on the end of my bed. It can't have got in there unless someone put it there. I should have told you, but I didn't think, and I was tired, and having a really bad day. Sir." She gulped, finally remembering to add the honorific. Snape furrowed his brows, leaning heavily against the wall. "You woke me up at two in the morning to tell me that I'd been into your dormitory?"

Cassie gaped. "You?" He nodded, too exhausted to think of a cutting answer. "You frightened me! I thought some horrible stranger had been into the castle and crept into our dungeons…" She swiped at his arm with her hand, connecting with his shoulder in what, between any other two people, would be a playful slap. However, they were not two other people and this was not acceptable. Severus pulled himself upright and to his full height. "Miss Prince. Do I have to give you another detention to remind you of the proper interactions between students and staff?" Cassie seemed to be trying to make herself seem as small as possible, looking up at her towering cousin with big, wide eyes. "I'm sorry, sir. And I'm sorry to have disturbed you. In any case…" He tilted his head enquiringly at her. "…Thank you, Severus." She dismissed herself and rushed off back to the student quarters, leaving him stunned.

--

Cassie was woken at six o'clock by a strange noise nearby. Looking up, she saw a dark brown owl in a cage and the events of the previous night came rushing back to her. She quickly opened the cage door and the occupant landed on her arm. "I need to think of a name for you, don't I?" Swinging her legs out of the bed, she rummaged around for some clothes and dressed quickly before taking her new pet to the Owlery to find some Owl Treats. Reluctantly leaving the bird there with the other owls, she realised she still had an hour and a half before she had to rush to breakfast. Changing course, she glided into the library and headed for the History section.

By the end of the first chapter of the first book she opened, she had found a name for her new owl. Passing over Circe and Cliodne, she settled on the slightly less glamorous-sounding 'Mopsus'. After all, _everyone_ knew someone with an owl called Cliodne – it was even rumoured that any of the Hogwarts owls would answer to that name. It made sense; Cliodne had been a bird Animagus with healing powers. She even had her own Chocolate Frog card. Mopsus also had a Chocolate Frog Card, but was an Ancient Greek soothsayer who vanquished a Seer in a power contest. More to the point, Cassie had never heard of an owl called Mopsus and it was easily shortened to 'Mop'. Yes, it would suit her owl well, although she wasn't sure if the original had been male or female. It worked as a female name anyway, and that was all that really mattered.

Sinking down to eat her breakfast, she realised the Great Hall was almost empty. Of course – it was Saturday. Cassie was just glad that she'd thrown her weekend clothes on anyway – she hadn't realised what day it was before. However, there was one other person at the Slytherin table, and he looked like he'd been waiting for her to arrive. "Cassie! How are you?" Draco Malfoy slid into the seat opposite her. Before she could reply, he was off again. "Look, I was wondering if… I've been meaning to ask… Well, I wanted to talk to you." She put down the croissant she had been tucking into and waited expectantly. "I'm all ears." He looked awkward. "That day with the troll… You remember you got your Defence Against the Dark Arts essay back that morning? And it was wet, so you got a bad grade?" Cassie nodded, hoping this conversation wasn't heading where she thought it was. "Why was your essay wet in the first place?" Cassie bit her lip, unsure how to answer. "I… dropped it in the lake." Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "You can do better than that, Cassie. Tell me the truth, or at least a plausible lie." She glanced into those silver eyes and turned away. He sat back, disappointed that she would not trust him with the answer to so insignificant a question. She continued to face the wall, refusing to look his way. "My mother passed away in March."

--

"I hate Dumbledore. What an idiot!" Lucy grumbled, noticing that Fliss was awake. Pansy moaned sleepily. "What are you on about now, Lucy?" Fliss reached for a hairbrush. "Well, he ruined our plans! I mean, now we have to wait, like, two months and have the karaoke night for the whole House!" Pansy shook her head. "You weren't paying attention, were you?" Lucy looked hurt, but waited for more information. "Dumbledore himself is now planning a karaoke night at New Year. For the whole _school_!" Felicity corrected her. The three girls blinked sleepily at each other for a few more minutes, then rolled over and went back to sleep.

--

Cassie was coming to the end of her story. "So I spent the holidays at my cousin's house, but I don't know what's happening next summer. I expect I'll be spending the Christmas and Easter holidays here. Anyway, all that happened the night I was doing that essay was that Lucy's mum sent her some French sweets, and she was talking about how lovely her mum was and how she missed her, and I just thought… well, I'm never going to see my mum again…" Tears were threatening at the back of her eyes as she said this, but she tried her best to keep the unwanted emotion hidden. Draco simply reached around and hugged her. The two Slytherins sat there, entwined in each others arms, for half an hour while tears streamed down Cassie's cheeks. Eyes closed, Draco didn't notice the dark shadow looming above them.

Being unnoticed suited Snape fine; he watched with concern as his cousin wept uncontrollably, but it was something of a relief to see that she was being taken care of by her friend. Nevertheless, he couldn't come over here and just leave them to it or he would look foolish; now that he could see that the Malfoy boy wasn't strangling his cousin, he really had nothing to say. Much as he hated to disturb them, there was really only one thing he could do. "Mr Malfoy! Miss Prince! Aren't you a little young to be… hugging all over the Great Hall?" Sheepishly they broke apart, Cassie drying her eyes on the back of Draco's robes in the hope that Snape wouldn't realise she had been acting like a Gryffindor, heart on sleeve. When brown eyes met black, neither pair held any clue to the feelings of their owners. "That's better." He swept off towards the dungeons, and Cassie snapped out of the miserable daze she'd been in. Crying all over Draco Malfoy? What kind of a self-respecting Slytherin was she? She mumbled something and dashed off towards the Owlery, leaving Draco alone at the table once again. He wasn't alone for long.

--

_Dear Kenya,_

_It's me again. Check out the owl! Yep, I got my very own owl for my birthday. Of course, the owl appeared in my dorm with my name on it in the dead of night, so I don't know who it's from – I'd think maybe my cousin, if we lived in some parallel universe where he didn't hate me... In any case, I thought someone had got into Slytherin to leave it there until Snape revealed that he'd moved the cage when he left a detention note for me. Charming . Anyway, now maybe I can send you things without that grey owl attacking me…_

_Meanwhile, Snape is still being a hook-nosed, greasy git to Draco and I. I have yet another detention, which is brilliant, next Thursday. The girls in our dorm have been giggling about some Karaoke party Dumbledore's supposed to be having on New Year's Eve, which should be… well, interesting._

_I wish you'd stayed at Hogwarts, it would have been great fun! You know, I bet it's not too late to come back…_

_Cassie._

She folded the piece of parchment before quickly setting quill to another sheet.

_Professor Snape,_

_Please could we arrange a meeting at whatever time is convenient to you, to discuss my arrangements for the Christmas holidays? I'd really rather get it all sorted out soon than later._

_Cassandra Prince, Slytherin first form._

Attaching both pieces of parchment to Mop's legs, she looked her in the great amber eyes, fed her an Owl Treat and sternly tapped the letter to Kenya. "You make sure you deliver this one first, OK, Mops?" The owl blinked twice and soared out of the window before swooping around and back towards Hogwarts. Cassie hoped against hope that the bird wasn't going to Snape first; if he read her description of him to Kenya she'd be in detention until the day she died. Pushing the thought from her mind, she headed downstairs to the library to finish her Charms essay. She still had to win Professor Flitwick over after that unfortunate levitation incident. Luckily, he seemed quite impressed with her wandwork and had all but forgiven her, but she still felt she had to make it up to him. To Flitwick, as to so many teachers at Hogwarts, she had a lot to prove.

--

Outside in the courtyard, a group of third-years was preparing to go into Hogsmeade. As they lined up at the gates, a screech caused every head to turn towards the sky. The students soon lost interest when they realised it was a simple fight between two owls. Such fights were rare, but they happened. As they watched, the larger of the birds wrestled a letter from the other and soared back down to the castle. The smaller followed, but veered off at the last moment towards a different window.

The third years set off towards the village, grinning. Surely the day could only get more exciting.

--

"Hey, Draco. Was that Cassie I just saw leaving?" The boy looked up. "Yeah, yeah it was. Snape sent her packing. She's OK though, I think." Laura plonked herself into the seat next to the blond-haired boy. "Good. Speaking of packing, though, what are you doing for Christmas?" Draco shrugged. "The holidays? I'm going home, as far as I know. How about you?" She hardly hesitated before responding, "Me too. I assume Cassie will, as well." Draco shook his head, remembering their earlier conversation. "No, I think she's staying, actually." Laura gaped. "Why?"

_Clearly Cassie hasn't told Laura about her mother,_ Draco realised. He was quite proud to be singled out for such privileged information, but it now put him in an awkward position. "Oh, she said something about wanting to really get to know Hogwarts, you know? She'll probably know everything there is to know about the place by the time we come back." Luckily, Malfoys were bred for deceit and Laura didn't seem to doubt the tale in the slightest. Of course, it did sound remarkably like something Cassie would say, which helped.

--

"Miss Prince?" The librarian whispered, and Cassie looked up from her book, smiling at the librarian. "Yes, Madam Pince?" It was rare for anyone to be disturbed while reading, which is what Cassie had been doing for the twenty minutes since she'd finished her Charms essay. She wasn't quite ready to face Draco yet, not sure how he'd react to her emotional outburst earlier. "There's an owl for you at the window, and it seems fairly insistent." Sure enough, a small, dark-brown bird was throwing itself against the outside of the glass, obviously trying to get her owner's attention. When the girl looked up, the banging noise stopped and those nearest the windows went back to their work after a few accusing glares at Cassie. "Sorry, I haven't trained her up yet…" She put away her book and scurried to retrieve the owl, removing her from the vicinity of the library before detaching the letter and feeding the insistent bird a treat. "Little scamp; what am I going to do with you, Mops? You can't get to me when I'm in the library…" The owl gave her a reproachful look and glided off towards the Owlery, leaving Cassie free to unroll the scroll she'd just received. She found herself irrationally hoping it was from Kenya, even though she knew she had to get the Snape business sorted out. Her face fell as she recognised the small, neat handwriting on the outside of the roll of parchment.

_Miss Prince,_

_If you need to talk to me about your holiday arrangements, you may come to my office at six o'clock on Monday night, when we can discuss the matter._

_Professor Snape, Potions Master._

Cassie sighed, figuring that was probably the best she could hope for, and headed downstairs to find her friends.


	14. Progress

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so are Laura and Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Please remember as the story progresses that it is set in an AU and I am going to take it off on tangents at points! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter – if you do, **_**please review**_**! It really makes me want to write more (I know a lot of people say that but there is a simple reason – it is true!)**

**Thanks to bored2hyperness for your review, as always!**

**Well, here it is – the chapter you should have all been waiting for. By the way, Christmas is going to be written at some point between now and the middle of August, which will be weird to say the least. Enjoy this!**

**NB: When it's relevant, the underlined italics are **_**Cassie**_** and the normal italics are **_**Snape**_**. OK?**

"Hey, Laura." She paused for an infinitesimal length of time before continuing. "Draco." Dark eyes didn't quite meet silver as the pupils greeted each other. Laura glanced between the other two and quickly remembered that she should really do the Charms essay as well. As she left, Cassie studied the common room floor for a bit before both Slytherins spoke at the same time. "Draco-" "Cassie- You first." She wouldn't look at him. "I'm sorry about earlier. Not very Slytherin of me, right? And I'm sorry if I showed you up in front of Snape, too…" Draco was silent. _He's probably angry, _Cassie thought, _or just doesn't want to lower himself to talking to me._ She waited, but no insult or cutting remark came her way. Instead, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she finally met those cool, silver eyes, and found them looking at her tenderly, full of warmth. "I'm sorry if you thought I was embarrassed by you. Anyone would cry about something like that, and you have every right to show your feelings, especially to your friends. I'm honoured that you would trust me with such a secret. So stop apologising, OK?" Cassie smiled at him as he pulled out a wizard's chess set. "Want to play?"

--

At dinner on Monday, Draco was ranting about Potter's Quidditch involvement yet again. "I mean, if I want to play Quidditch, I'm not allowed, obviously. But even the Gobstones club is off-limits to first years, unless of course you happen to be the _famous_ Harry Potter." Laura was nodding sympathetically, but Cassie decided to try to change the subject. "I've never played Gobstones." Draco turned, halted mid-rant, incredulous. "You've never- then we have to teach you! Tonight. Right away! How on earth did you grow up in a wizarding household without ever playing Gobstones?" Cassie was distracted, however, by the sight of a familiar figure slipping away from the staff table. "I'll explain later. I've got to go to a meeting. See you in the common room!" She dashed out. Draco turned to Laura. "What was that about?"

--

Running full-speed through the castle, Cassie took three shortcuts on the way to Snape's office, but when she knocked the professor's reply was as languid as ever. "Enter." As she opened the door, gasping for breath, she failed to notice that Snape was also breathing heavily and was only now pointing his wand at a broken jar on the floor. Levitating the newly-repaired (and still full) jar back onto a shelf, he raised an eyebrow at her. "Been running in the corridors, Miss Prince?"

_Oh, so that's how he wants to play it, is it?_ "Not at all, Professor Snape. My Head of House would kill me if I did." He was glaring at her now, with an expression the first-years already referred to as the _Snape Special_. "Quite. Now, you wanted to discuss your end-of-term arrangements?" He gestured towards a chair and she sat down, nervously. "Well, yes. I think I need to sign up to stay here at Hogwarts over Christmas, sir." One eyebrow rose into Snape's hairline. "Right. Do you have any particular reason for wanting to stay?" She looked at him as if he was stupid. "I know you're aware of my circumstances, Professor. Where else would I go?"

--

Draco and Laura were playing Gobstones. Each had their own set, and the stones sat comfortably in their hands. They were both doing rather badly. "I've never been good at Gobstones," Laura admitted bashfully. "Neither have I. We should at least be able to beat Cassie, though, since she's never played." Draco reassured her. "As long as we keep practicing, that is. What was her meeting about?" Laura looked puzzled. "I don't know. None of the rest of us have meetings left, right and centre. It's probably another detention with Snape." Draco nodded, and knocked one of Laura's pieces off of the table with a well-aimed Gobstone. She glared as he claimed the victory and collected his stones to start again, then squealed as she was squirted in the face. "Right. This time, it's personal." Wiping goo out of her hair, she prepared herself for another round.

--

"I must admit, Miss Prince, that I had assumed you would be returning to the home of your cousin for the holidays. Christmas, after all, is traditionally a time to spend with one's family." Cassie looked at him, startled. "What makes you think my cousin would want me at his house for Christmas, sir?" He remained silent for a moment, looking pensive, before replying. "I'm sure I don't know. You have given no indication that you could stand his company, anyway. Indeed, you seem to hate the man." He reached into a drawer and pulled out a piece of parchment headed 'Slytherins Staying At Hogwarts'. "Shall I add you to the list?"

His quill was poised over the paper when Cassie suddenly spoke in a very small voice. "I don't know." He looked up at her in irritation. "You don't know?" She could feel her nerve failing. If she wanted to have any sort of a family from now on, she had to speak now. "I'm sorry about the Dungbombs, Severus. No matter how distant you were being, I shouldn't have done that." He seemed startled by her use of his given name. "I suppose I was a little harsh on you, wasn't I?" It was Cassie's turn to be surprised. This was probably as close to an apology as Snape ever gave. He stood and walked around the desk, turning an inkwell into a chair as he did so. Sitting down beside her, he continued to speak. "I'm sorry I was so distant. I thought you wouldn't need me when we were at school, and we have to continue to be professional. Nobody can know that we are in any way related; it could mean trouble. OK?" She nodded, wondering what he meant but not quite daring to ask. "So… did you want to come home with me for Christmas? I have to be here for one week of the holidays, but the other…"

--

It was almost curfew and Cassie still hadn't come back. Draco and Laura were covered in smelly liquid from various losses at Gobstones, and were about to head for their respective bathrooms to shower when their friend finally appeared in the doorway. "Sorry I took so long. Um… Can we have a tournament tomorrow, instead?" The others agreed and, once they'd got themselves cleaned up, went to bed.

--

The post arrived as usual at breakfast on Tuesday morning, with an eagle owl dropping a small package of sweets in Draco's lap and landing to await his reward. He fed it a bit of toast and it flew off happily, making way for a huge fluffy grey owl to give Laura a letter. "Another one from your secret boyfriend back home, Laura?" Draco teased, but they were distracted as Cassie recognised another owl heading towards them. "Hello Mops- oh, Merlin!" Mopsus, ever graceful, had landed in a milk jug, toppling it. Undeterred, the owl held out her leg to Cassie, who removed the letter and set about cleaning both the owl and the table with a serviette. Professor Flitwick, who was just passing on his way towards some Ravenclaws further down the next table, quickly finished the job with a wave of his wand, brushing off Cassie's gratitude. Laura let out a yelp.

The grey owl appeared to be clawing at her hand, impatiently waiting for some toast. She gave it a milk-sodden crust and it flew off, hooting happily. "Tell me that brute isn't yours?" Cassie groaned, recognising the owl as she gave Mopsus a ruined slice of jammy, milky toast which appeared to have a cornflake or two stuck to it. The bird didn't seem able to believe her luck and disappeared in the direction of the Owlery. "No, it's a school owl. What did you get?"

Cassie had forgotten about her letter. It was the first she had ever received at Hogwarts, and she wondered who it could possibly be from. Opening the envelope, she found two folded sheets of parchment. One appeared to be blank; the other was a letter from Severus. "Oh, just something from my cousin. Seems he wants me to go and stay with him at Christmas." Draco smiled at her, and Laura laughed. "Well, aren't you popular? Won't you be at your parents' house for Christmas, anyway?" Cassie nodded. "Yeah, of course, but I'm sure I can spare him a weekend. What about your letter?" Laura looked down at the parchment in her own hands. "Pen-pal from Beauxbatons. Remember, in summer I thought I was going there but then a place at Hogwarts opened up? Well, I did one day and I'm still in touch with one of the girls." Cassie nodded. "I know how that is. I still write to Kenya, after all, although she's never replied yet. Must be busy." Lucy leaned across the table and interrupted them. "Have you guys heard the new _Wyrd Sisters_ single? It's amazing."

Cassie lingered behind after the others went off to get their books and go to lessons. She had her bag with her, and she wanted to read her cousin's letter. Pulling out the first sheet of paper, she noticed that it now appeared to have seven words on it. _She's still a young owl; she'll learn._ As she read them, the words faded away. Deciding that she must have imagined it, she turned her attention to the other page.

_Dear Cassie,_

_Don't throw the other sheet of parchment away! It's charmed; I got the idea from some idiots back when I was at school. They had mirrors, but I think parchment is a better idea. I have a piece of parchment just like it; write on yours and it will appear on mine. Since we can't actually talk a lot, I thought maybe you might appreciate some way of telling me how things are going. Of course, you don't have to; if you prefer to communicate by Dungbombs and detentions then I can work with that. One thing, however; don't ever sign your messages on the paper, and if you ever owl me, don't use your name. Come up with a pseudonym if you must._

_Your cousin._

Cassie re-read the letter quickly and, on the pretext of putting her letter away, glanced up to the staff table. Professor McGonagall was still there, so she wouldn't be late to Transfiguration, and Snape appeared to be marking papers. She grabbed a textbook (_The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1)_ and a quill from her bag and, knowing McGonagall would disapprove, scribbled away as if she was doing her homework at the last moment.

_You have got to teach me this charm some day._

She didn't dare look up at the teacher's table, but if she had she would have seen no discernible reaction at all from the Potions Master.

_Not until you graduate –you think I want you lot passing notes under my nose like this? Do you like the present, then?_

She looked over to the page from her textbook and wrote back a quick reply.

_Spoilsport. By the way, I daren't look up – has McGonagall left yet?_

He couldn't resist correcting her.

_PROFESSOR McGonagall – and she's just standing up now. Why?_

Cassie panicked. She looked up and around and leant back to add one last hurried sentence.

_I'm late for Transfiguration – be an angel and keep her talking (it's your fault after all)!_

With that she swept everything carelessly into her bag and ran for it.

--

He shoved her message under the pile of essays he had in front of him. "Minerva, I never thought this was possible but your Gryffindors are actually getting less intelligent. Just when I thought they'd hit rock bottom… What are you doing to them?" He smirked at her but from the corner of his eye he saw Cassie slip out of the doors as McGonagall drew herself up to her full height and began to lecture him about how Gryffindor would win the House Cup this year, and the Quidditch cup too. "Ah, yes. No doubt that will be purely down to skill and not the fact that you and the Headmaster have done your best to ensure Gryffindor's advantage. Since when do first-years get brooms bought for them out of the school treasury?" McGonagall glared at him for a full minute, a glare he met with a slight smile. "I'm just joking, Minerva. I must be a little jealous of your celebrity player. I'll see you around; I have a class to take." Glancing at her watch, McGonagall muttered something quite unladylike and rushed off.

Snape sat back; the longer he left it before letting the second-years into the dungeon, the less havoc they could wreak. He was quite impressed with his cousin. Even he had been surprised when that first message arrived on the clean page in front of him. As he had turned to McGonagall, he had seen her glance around at the near-empty hall before frantically packing up, as if she had only just noticed that she was running late. He swept off towards the dungeons, hoping she wouldn't lose Slytherin any points. Still, she wasn't a bad kid, not really. He could live with being her guardian after all.

--

Cassie was impressed; she'd made it here, explained away her lateness to her friends _and _got all her books out by the time a tabby cat slid around the door, looking harassed. She quickly wrote a brief note.

_Thanks._

It disappeared, to be replaced almost immediately.

_You're a bad influence. Now put this away and pay attention!_

Smirking, she obeyed and turned her full attention to the Professor.


	15. Gobstones and Good Times

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so are Laura and Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Please remember as the story progresses that it is set in an AU and I am going to take it off on tangents at points! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter – if you do, **_**please review**_**! It really makes me want to write more (I know a lot of people say that but there is a simple reason – it is true!)**

**Thanks to bored2hyperness for your review, as always!**

**I know this chapter doesn't go anywhere fast and I apologise but it's kind of character development and I think there are a few nice moments in there that you'll like. I hope you enjoy this!**

**NB: When it's relevant, the underlined italics are **_**Cassie**_** and the normal italics are **_**Snape**_**.**

"Cassie – have you really never played this?" Draco didn't seem to believe her. "Honestly. I asked my mum if we could play once. She said it was always my late aunt's favourite game and that since she lost contact with her she had never played because it was too painful." Laura grinned. "Well, she's not here now! Go on, be a rebel. Let us teach you." Draco winced but Cassie ignored him and grinned back, although he could see it took some effort. "No, she's not here now. I might as well learn _something_ at school!"

Two hours later, Draco and Laura were, once again, wondering why they couldn't play Gobstones or at least have the sense to wear masks and shower caps, and Cassie was discovering to her surprise that she could. She'd lost two or three games, but she'd got the hang of it pretty well, according to her (very annoyed) friends. They went off to shower and Cassie retreated to a corner of the common room to see if Severus was in his office. She hesitated – if someone were to walk in while her message was visible, what would happen?

_The properties of moonstone are many and varied. It is used in numerous potions and is said to emit a faint glow, although only when nobody can see it._

She hoped he'd get the hint and that it would be convincing if discovered; she wasn't going to write a whole essay.

_Outstanding – well thought out. If you're trying to ask if I'm alone, you're safe. Are you OK?_

Cassie smiled to herself. Maybe this whole secrecy thing could work out, after all. She would ask him why they had to hide it later on, but right now there was something else on her mind.

_I just played my first few games of Gobstones. Was Aunt Eileen really that good?_

--

Severus watched the words disappear from the charmed parchment. His mother had been Captain of the Gobstones Club at Hogwarts, which she had always joked meant that she was either the best player or the one with the least social life. They had both known, though, that she didn't mean it. He remembered playing against her while his father was out drinking; she used to let him win until he realised that she was doing it. From then on, he had to fight her for every point, and eventually he could hold her to a draw. He could never beat his mother when she gave it her all. He missed that.

_Yes, she was extraordinarily good at the game. Don't worry if you don't win straight away, though; you'll pick it up, I'm sure._

_Thanks,_read his cousin's reply, _but I just wiped the floor with Draco and Laura. Maybe next time I'm in an unfair detention we could have a game?_

_On your first try? Wait… Didn't Aunt Meredith ever play Gobstones with you? This can't have been your first game, surely._

_Mum said every time she looked at her Gobstones set, she missed your mum too much. So she sold her set. So this really was my first game. Well, more of a tournament really. So how about I do something stupid in class tomorrow and we can have a game?_

_Nice try, missy, but you're not getting detentions on purpose. They go on your record, you know._

_Fine, spoilsport. But we are definitely playing over Christmas. You can't avoid me forever! Was it you who left Mops, by the way?_

_Mops?_

_The owl. Short for Mopsus._

_As in the Seer? Well, you've opened a book, at any rate. And yes, that was me. Do you like her?_

_Do I? She's lovely! Thank you! And now I can write to Kenya without always having to borrow a school owl._

_Just don't overtire her. Have you worked out what she is yet?_

_Not yet. Don't you dare tell me or I'll-_

_Threaten a teacher? Oh, somebody just knocked. Go to bed, and I'll talk to you tomorrow._

_Note to all staff: Good night._

Severus smiled. She had managed to capture, almost exactly, the tone of a useless staff memo from Albus. He sighed and rearranged his features to scowl at whoever had disturbed his evening. "Enter."

--

"Are you packed?" Cassie looked up from her book to see Laura hovering at the top of the dormitory stairs. "No, I'm staying for a week. My family are away until then, and I thought I might get some reading done, too. Are you all ready?" Laura nodded. "I don't think Draco's done yet, though." "That's where you're wrong, Laura," a familiar drawl came from behind her. "I did the sensible thing and got a house-elf to do it." Laura gaped. "This place has house-elves?" "Yes. But I got my house-elf Dobby from home to come and do it." Cassie hit him with a cushion and dragged them all over to the sofas. "You two have to absolutely promise to owl me every day. I'm going to miss you guys loads!"

Soon the common room was full of excited, chattering students. Pansy Parkinson actually came over to remind Cassie, Laura and Draco that the Headmaster was throwing a karaoke party on the first day back. An eerie silence fell as Professor Snape swept into the room. "Those of you who are going home this afternoon should have put their trunks on their beds as instructed. If you have forgotten I suggest you do that now." So saying, he swept down the stairs into the dormitories. When he returned, he paused. "You may now collect your trunks and head downstairs to the coaches." They dashed down the stairs and Draco was the first to return, patting his pocket and yelling. "Shrunken trunks! Merry Christmas, everyone!"

Many hugs and promises to write later, the common room was finally empty apart from Cassie, sat at a table, reading her book. When she was certain that everyone was gone, she picked up her quill, dipped it into an inkpot and set it down on paper.

_Solitude is peaceful bliss;_

_However, there's something amiss._

_There's nobody here for me to talk to;_

_What am I supposed to do?_

She returned to her reading, glancing at her charmed parchment every few seconds in case there was a reply. It wasn't until she was getting really engrossed in Chapter Six that she sensed someone behind her. Surprised, she whirled around to see her cousin stood at the entrance to the common room. "I assume that little verse translates as 'I'm bored, get me out of here'?" It was his turn to be surprised as Cassie leapt up, dropping her book onto the table, and raced across to give him a hug. He just stood there, bewildered, until she stepped back. "I'm sorry, I haven't seen you since summer. The least you can do is put up with a hug!"

--

Severus was not accustomed to being hugged. What were you supposed to do when someone hugged you? When Cassie let go of him, he raised an eyebrow at her, and after her strange explanation the other joined it. "You see me all the time, Cassie. What are you talking about?" She laughed. "See? You called me Cassie! I've got my cousin back!" He nodded. "Well, I suppose you have. But only in here, OK? Outside we're student and teacher only, alright?" She beamed at him, happy to spend any time she could with the cousin who had taken such good care of her over the summer. "Now, I don't want to sound boring, but I've got a staff meeting this afternoon before most of the other teachers go home, so why don't you see if you can get that holiday homework out of the way? Don't bother with the Potions or Defence Against the Dark Arts yet, you can use the library at Spinner's End for those. Is that OK? Then you won't have to waste time later." Cassie nodded, reminding herself that she was very nearly sorted into Ravenclaw. "I hope you'll be taking copious notes at this meeting?" He raised an eyebrow again. "I might make a few." Satisfied, she gathered her books and went to the library to start some research as he headed for the staffroom to see what the old crackpot of a Headmaster wanted now.

--

_Having fun at the meeting?_

_I have honestly never been more excited in my life._

_Probably not; you are a teacher after all. What's afoot?_

_That thing on the end of your leg, minding its own business._

_Speaking of legs, what happened to yours?_

_What do you mean, what happened to- oh dear. Don't write anything until I say you can._

Cassie shrugged and went back to her work.

--

"Severus, you don't have to feel obliged to take such extensive notes; if you're worried about keeping all the points I'm making in your head, I can lend you my Pensieve later." Albus' eerily bright blue eyes were twinkling merrily at the Potions Master as he walked round behind him. "I'm sorry, Headmaster. That won't be necessary; I was merely testing some invisible ink I confiscated yesterday. I suspect it is actually a Zonko's variant on that product." Dumbledore looked intrigued. "Really? What makes you think that?" Hoping that his cousin was as clever as he thought she was, he raised his quill and answered, "Because if you do this…"

_Insult me._

--

Cassie didn't know what her cousin was playing at, but she figured she might as well join the game, and do so wholeheartedly.

_Certainly, hooknose. Would you like a minor, medium or major slur on your already dubious name?_

--

Severus looked up, relieved and triumphant, at Dumbledore, who was looking pensive. Snape seemed truly furious about what the paper was saying. "Well, Headmaster? Do you see what I mean?" Dumbledore was stroking his beard, which was never good. "I think a medium slur will suffice, don't you, Severus?" Obediently, the younger man dipped his quill again.

_Medium._

_You resemble nothing more than a huge, dungeon-dwelling bat with a vicious tendency to savagely and unnecessarily attack young prey._

Dumbledore seemed impressed. "That has to be a Zonko's product – they are the leaders in the 'insults and jokes' field. I'd hate to see a major slur…" Severus rolled the parchment and tucked it inside his robes. "I'm sorry to have interrupted the meeting, Albus. Where were we?"

--

Cassie wondered what that strange conversation had been about. It was probably something to do with hiding the fact that Severus hadn't been giving the meeting his full attention. He wouldn't be writing for a while, if that was the case - or, indeed, if she had overstepped the mark with the insults. Oh well, he had asked for it. Still, she kept the parchment out on the desk, just in case. Madam Pince approached her and took the seat opposite. "Miss Prince," she whispered, "I'm going home for the holidays. Now, I know you're staying here for at least part of the time, so would you like this?" She placed a small bronze key onto the desk. "It's the key to the library. I'm going to give one to Miss Granger from Gryffindor, too, when I see her. Keep it to yourself, OK? I'm trusting you with my library, and you had better keep the place as tidy as you find it now. But it might be useful for your homework?" Cassie smiled and thanked her, knowing that it was an unheard of privilege to be trusted in this way by the strict librarian.

_You're a lifesaver._

"What's that?" the librarian asked, noticing the words appear on the paper. "Oh." Cassie racked her brains for a plausible story. "My friend's brother works for Zonko's, and he sent me a trial version of a new product they're working on. It's called a Motivation Memo, and it just generates random things to make you feel good about yourself. He said it was perfect for things like starting new schools and getting through homework…" Madam Pince nodded, looking excited. "Well, I look forward to seeing those on the shelves, if they pass the test! Now, don't forget to lock up, and don't lose that key. Have a nice Christmas!"

_That was too close._

_What do you mean?_

_Why don't you meet me in the Slytherin common room and we can actually talk about it? I'm finished here._

_Fine, as long as you've finished at least one piece of work._

_Transfiguration and Charms. Happy? Oh, and if you have a Gobstones set, could you bring that?_

_I'll bring two, your Highness. Does that suit you?_

_Hmm, your Highness, eh? Well, I suppose I am a Prince…_

_Funny story there, I'll tell you some time. I'll see you in ten minutes._

--

Severus was ensconced inan armchair by the fire when Cassie entered the common room. "Sorry I was so long, I had to pack up." "No problem. What was too close?" Cassie shrugged. "Madam Pince saw your message in the library. I told her it was Zonko's Motivational Memo, a trial version my friend's brother sent me. Why am I a lifesaver?" He chuckled. "It sounds like we both owe a lot to Zonko's." He explained what had happened in the meeting. "I was absolutely terrified that you would reply saying 'what?' or 'why?' but if I hadn't thought you were up to it, I would have stuck to the invisible ink excuse. Speaking of ink, let's see how good you _really_ are at Gobstones."

--

Cassie was losing quite badly, not because she was a bad shot, but because, as Severus put it, she was 'playing like a Hufflepuff'. He was playing in true Slytherin style; as well as making some amazing shots of his own, he was also taking every opportunity to knock her pieces away from the target. He guided Cassie's arm on her next shot and showed her how by hitting an existing piece at the right angle, two of his pieces could be lost from the table completely, and another moved. "But that one moved _closer_ to the target," she pointed out. "Well, of course," her cousin replied. "You didn't think I was going to forget whose side I was on, did you?" Cassie's response was to deftly knock the offending piece to the other side of the room, leaving her own right in the middle of the target. Severus still won, on points, but Cassie certainly had the best score with a single piece. Deciding to call it quits on that note, they said goodnight and went their separate ways.


	16. Christmas at Hogwarts

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so are Laura and Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Please remember as the story progresses that it is set in an AU and I am going to take it off on tangents at points! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter – if you do, **_**please review**_**! It really makes me want to write more (I know a lot of people say that but there is a simple reason – it is true!)**

**Thanks to bored2hyperness for your review, as always!**

**Sorry, this chapter is a bit here-and-there but the next one should be a little more interesting.**

**NB: When it's relevant, the underlined italics are **_**Cassie**_** and the normal italics are **_**Snape**_**.**

When Cassie awoke, it was to the forceful realisation that she had missed dinner the previous night. Throwing her clothes on, she dashed downstairs to breakfast and stopped short. The Slytherin table was completely empty. Piling food onto her plate anyway, she perched nervously on a bench, feeling like a complete fool. She had two options: she could hold her head high and pretend the rest of the world wasn't good enough for her, or she could go out on a limb. After two minutes of trying the first plan, she gave up. It was just too lonely, sitting alone. She picked up her plate and turned cautiously towards a group of girls, about her age, sat at the next table. "Um… hey. I know I'm not a Ravenclaw but… Can I sit with you guys?" They shuffled up to make room for her. Introductions were made and Cassie cheerfully joined in with their previous conversation ('Professor Sprout won't let us take bits off her plants').

"You can kind of see her point, though," Cho waved a fork to emphasise her point. "I mean, if everyone pulls bits off of her plants whenever they feel like it, they're bound to start dying off." Marietta was quick to respond. "But surely it's only fair that we should be given a chance to study the plants in greater detail. It would help our grades, after all." Cassie raised an eyebrow. "You mean Ravenclaw grades need help? I wouldn't mind a closer look at some of those plants myself, though – preferably without them trying to eat me. Maybe we could ask Professor Sprout if, next time she prunes her plants, she could give us a few of the cut-off bits?" After some debate, the girls agreed to Cassie's plan, to be put into effect the next time they ran into the Professor. They also invited Cassie to sit with them for meals for the rest of the holidays, before going their separate ways.

Cassie made a beeline for the library to do her Herbology homework. Pretty soon, she was on a roll, and her Transfiguration essay and the star chart she owed Astronomy were quickly completed as well. It was then that she glanced across at her piece of parchment.

_Where are you? Nobody's seen you since breakfast. I've been trying to reach you for over an hour!_

_I'm in the library, working._

_I thought you'd hurt yourself! Anyway, you can't be in the library, Madam Pince is away. Where are you really?_

Cassie hesitated. Should she tell him about her key? Best not; she'd be blamed for anything that happened in or near the library if he knew. Besides, everyone should have some secrets, and for the moment this was hers.

_You're too smart for me. I was in the Owlery, working, but I'm just on my way back to the common room now. Or should I go somewhere else?_

_Go out to the grounds and head straight for the Forbidden Forest. I'll come and head you off. I only want a quick word and then you're free to do whatever._

This was certainly intriguing.

--

"Miss Prince, it may be the holidays but the school rules have not changed!" Cassie turned reluctantly to face Professor Snape. "Professor, I-" Snape cut her off. His face was angry but he lowered his voice. "I hear you ate breakfast with the Ravenclaws, this morning?" She nodded, hanging her head to convince any onlookers that she was getting the usual scorn from the terrifying Professor. "Right. Well, as it turns out, Professor Dumbledore has some business he would like me to attend to this holiday. I'll be away for a few days. See if you can keep mixing with the Ravenclaws. Will you be OK in the dormitory on your own?" Cassie gave him the most defiant look she could muster. "I'm sure I'll live. Will we still be able to go to Spinner's End for Christmas?" He turned away and strode off. "I should think _so_, Miss Prince."

--

A letter fell on Cassie's head just before she reached the Entrance Hall. Looking up, she saw a speck in the sky that could only be the delivery owl. _Stupid bird, _she thought angrily. Picking up the letter, she discovered that it was at least addressed to her. Unrolling it, she sat down on the steps in the snow and began to read.

_Dear Cassie,_

_I'm sorry it's taken me so long to reply to your letters. I've been very busy with my apprenticeship, but I get the school holidays off so I can write to you a lot over the next couple of weeks._

_As for my news; well, I've been learning to make cauldrons. I managed to make a half-decent one the other day but then my four-year-old brother decided it would make a perfect helmet for him to wear on his toy broom. Quite frankly, I fear for his life if anyone takes it off him, so I'll be making my first cauldrons for sale some time soon. In answer to your question, I'm afraid we don't really do cauldrons in the UK – with what it would cost to import them, we just couldn't compete with the Diagon Alley prices, so I'd stick with your current suppliers if I were you._

_Great to hear you got an owl for your birthday; I'm sorry to hear about your loss, however. I knew you didn't live with your father but I never thought to ask…You can expect a package headed your way soon, by the way; I owl-ordered it so Merlin knows when it will arrive. It's going to have to be a joint birthday and Christmas present, too, because the family owl's not up to much!_

_Anyway, I have to go now. Enjoy the holidays!_

_Kenya._

Cassie grinned. Hearing from her friend always cheered her up. She was about to go inside when Cho emerged from the Entrance Hall. "Oh, Cassie! Just the person I wanted to see. Will you take a walk with me?" She sighed and did an about-turn. "So, why were you looking for me?"

--

"You want _me_ to? Why?" Cho looked slightly embarrassed. "Well, you're a Slytherin, and you guys are known for your cunning…" Cassie frowned for a moment. "Well, OK. But I don't like it. And if I get caught, I'm telling on you!" Cho just burst out laughing. "You sound like a spoilt three-year-old." Cassie didn't even dignify that with a response before, looking carefully around her, she pointed her wand at the greenhouse door.

Slipping in through the newly-unlocked door, she opened Cho's Herbology book to the first bookmarked page, looked at the picture, and moved towards a plant in the corner. It only took her fifteen minutes before she was standing in front of the last plant she needed to get. She studied the vine before her intently. It looked like a Flitterbloom alright, although why it was under a propped-up blanket was anyone's guess. There was a label on the pot, though. _Move to Greenhouse Three._ Greenhouse Three, Cassie knew, was where the more interesting (and more dangerous) plants lived. Why would Sprout be moving a Flitterbloom there? Tentatively, she poked it with an old quill she had in her pocket. The plant grabbed it and crushed it to dust. _Not a Flitterbloom, then._ It only took her another minute to find the right plant and slip a cutting into her bag. Just as she was turning to leave, she heard a voice from the doorway. "What do you think you're doing here, Miss Prince?" Cassie turned and found Professor Sprout glaring down at her, muddy hands on hips, waiting for an explanation.

--

Severus was fuming. It wasn't enough that he had to keep an eye on Quirrel in the school term time, now he had to stalk him for half the holidays as well? He had a sneaking suspicion Dumbledore was doing this just to stop him from spending too much time around Cassie. Whether this was because he thought he'd give the girl permanent self-esteem issues or because he thought she'd get in the way of Severus' work for the Order, he didn't know. It was probably the latter; Cassie was a Slytherin, after all, and Albus only really seemed to care about his beloved Gryffindors. Severus was still seething inwardly at the way the Potter boy had wormed his way onto the Quidditch team; Dumbledore had refused to bend the rules and allow young Malfoy to play for Slytherin, even after he had made an exception for Potter. The boy really was intolerable; just like his father. Topping up his Disillusionment Spell, Snape continued to follow his colleague down the street. If nothing interesting had happened by the next evening, he was going home, to Hogwarts. Although it might be best if he stopped at Spinner's End for a while, first… Albus would not be happy if he gave up so easily. He would have to lie low for a few days.

--

"Well?" Professor Sprout was still waiting. Cassie glanced back at the floor behind her. "Oh… Professor… I didn't want you to find out…" The teacher made a dismissive noise. "Of course not, girl. Why are you in here?" Sighing, the Slytherin began to wriggle her way out of the situation. "Well, I was just walking past and I noticed the Greenhouse door was open. I was going to shut it so that the cold didn't get into the plants, but Mrs Norris was in here. I got her out, no problem, but… well, she'd left a bit of a mess… I was going to clear it up, shut the door and leave and you'd never need to know, but then… well, you arrived." Professor Sprout still looked livid, and Cassie kicked herself mentally. She had blown it; Severus would be angry; she might even be kicked out of Hogwarts. Why couldn't she have thought of a better excuse? "Thank you for cleaning up, Miss Prince." Guiding her out of the greenhouse and locking the door behind them, Sprout steamed off towards the castle muttering about Filch and his comeuppance. Cassie exhaled a deep sigh of relief. Now she just had to get the cuttings back to the Ravenclaws.

--

"Brilliant. Now we've just got to get these up to the Tower and hide them. Of course, they'll need to go on the windowsill, but we can stack some books in front of them or something. Thank you, Cassie! You'll be sitting with us again at lunch, right? And then maybe you could come back to our common room for a bit, it must get quite boring in Slytherin all by yourself…" Cho was chattering excitedly, pleased as punch that Cassie had talked her way around Sprout _and_ emerged with the cuttings. It sounded as if the Ravenclaw girls' dorms were about to become reminiscent of tropical forests… Cassie watched Cho disappear up the main staircase, dashed up the western stairs and locked herself safely into the library, away from the mad Ravenclaws. Still, Cho had made a valid point. The Slytherin Common Room _was_ becoming a little lonely, and now that even Severus had gone away for a few days… Perhaps she _would_ ask the Ravenclaws to let her hang out a bit. It would be fun. For now, though, she was going to read. Pulling _Hogwarts: A History_ from its shelf, she threw herself into reading.

--

She woke the next morning with an inexplicable feeling that she'd forgotten something. Blinking, she rubbed her eyes and realised where she was. She must have fallen asleep reading last night, because now here she was in the library, snow falling outside and sunlight streaming through the windows. She also realised with a jolt that it was dinner that she'd forgotten; she hadn't even realised as it got dark the previous evening. She fumbled through her bag and found her piece of charmed parchment.

_Note to self: buy a new alarm clock._

The response was almost immediate.

_What's happening?_

_Nothing, I just fell asleep and missed two meals and I'm really quite bored._

_Don't tell the Headmaster, but I'm at home. Would you like me to ask him to send you home 'ahead of me'?_

_So really I'd be joining you?_

_That's the general idea, yes._

_Would you ask him for me? Please? It's not that I don't love Hogwarts; it's just nice to get away, and I miss having you around to play Gobstones with._

_How sweet. So you don't miss my sparkling wit and character?_

There was an owl at the library window; it could only be Mopsus. Cassie took the proffered letters, stroked her pet fondly, watched her fly off and returned to the desk, shoving her post into her bag before replying to Severus. What had he asked again?

_Um… Yes? So. Can you ask him, please? Then the Ravenclaws won't wonder where I was last night._

_Where WERE you last night?_

_Reading._

_Reading? What in Merlin's name were you doing in Reading?_

_Not Reading, the town. Reading, as in, 'I was reading'. I'm going to go and see the Headmaster about going back to your house. He can contact you for permission, right?_

_Fine, fine. I'll see you soon then._


	17. To Spinner's End And Beyond!

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so are Laura and Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Please remember as the story progresses that it is set in an AU and I am going to take it off on tangents at points! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter – if you do, **_**please review**_**! It really makes me want to write more (I know a lot of people say that but there is a simple reason – it is true!)**

**Thanks to bored2hyperness for your review, as always!**

**Sorry, I know I promised a good chapter but this is filler :( In other news, the Half-Blood Prince film is being delayed by SEVEN MONTHS??**

**NB: When it's relevant, the underlined italics are **_**Cassie**_** and the normal italics are **_**Snape**_**.**

_Dumbledore's insisting on dropping me off. Don't suppose you want him to find you?_

_It's not high on my Christmas list, no._

_He won't be dissuaded. Fancy a trip down the shops?_

_Fine. I'm gone! I'll be back in two hours, unless you contact me in the meantime._

"Ready to go, Miss Prince?" She glanced across at Dumbledore. "Yes, thank you." Tucking the parchment inside her robes, she followed the Headmaster through the fireplace in his office.

--

"Well, everything seems to be in order," Dumbledore smiled at Cassie as he looked around the living room. "Now are you sure you'll be alright? Your cousin might be gone for some days yet." Cassie fought to control the urge to giggle. She decided to just blank out the knowledge of Severus' true whereabouts from her mind. "I'm sure I'll be fine, Professor. I can always use the Floo Network to get to Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley if I panic and need to stay somewhere else for a bit. Would you like a cup of tea, Professor?" Professor Dumbledore looked a little taken aback at the manners and hospitality of such a young girl – and a Slytherin, too. "That would be lovely, thank you. Please, allow me to help-" Cassie was shaking her head. "I won't hear of it, sir. You just make yourself comfortable and I'll bring it in." Bemused, Albus sank into a comfortable armchair and within minutes she was back, bearing a tray. "Here you go, sir." He was astounded; she'd laid the tray in the old-fashioned style, with a milk jug and sugar bowl so that the guest's tea was always to his taste.

Spooning copious amounts of sugar into his tea, he fixed the girl with his twinkling blue gaze. "If you should need to come back to Hogwarts at any time, Miss Prince, you just Floo to the Hogs' Head or The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade – have you ever been? No, well, Madame Rosmerta at the Broomsticks can get a message to me, and so can the barman at the Hog's Head. Don't be afraid to ask!" He sipped his tea, smiling appreciatively. "Thank you, Professor. I'm sure I'll be fine here – my cousin takes his defensive wards strong, without sugar – but if I do have to return then I will certainly take your advice."

They sat quietly together for a few minutes, discussing the weather, Hogwarts and how Cassie was doing in each of her classes. Dumbledore enquired about her friends, Draco and Laura. "Yes, they both seem fine, thank you, sir. In fact, I got a couple of letters today, probably from them; I haven't read them yet. I'm also still in touch with Kenya, as you suggested." The Headmaster raised an eyebrow. "Ah, Miss Caldararu? Yes, it was a shame she left so suddenly. How is her apprenticeship going?" Cassie assured him that she was doing very well and, noticing that he had finished his tea, offered him another cup. "Alas, Miss Prince, as much as I would love another cup of tea, I ought to go back to my office and give the impression of working. Thank you for the tea." He stood, and Cassie followed suit. "I'm sorry to have kept you from the school for so long, Professor. Thank you for escorting me home." They nodded politely to each other, and then the Headmaster was gone. Cassie let out a sigh of relief.

_All clear. He told me you'd be gone for another few days; is there that much of a queue at the Post Office?_

While she waited for a reply, she decided to move over to the window seat, leaving the enchanted parchment on the table, to read her letters. As she suspected, they were from Draco and Laura. "Well, ladies first!" She muttered, before realising that nobody else was there.

_Dear Cassie,_

_Is Hogwarts terribly boring without us? It must be. I just thought – are you the only Slytherin left? That would be awful. Is Snape picking on you?_

_I'm at home, as you know, and my little brothers are bickering over who won the biggest half of the Wizard Cracker they just pulled. I don't know why we're pulling crackers already, since it's not even Christmas Eve yet. Ah well. I bet you can't wait to see your family again. I didn't realise how much I missed my Mum til I saw her at the station… Much hugging ensued._

_Write back soon and let me know how you are!_

_Love from_

_Laura_

Cassie blinked hard and moved on to unroll the parchment from Draco.

_Dear Cassie,_

_Are you OK? You and your cousin didn't seem to be on very good terms the last time I got to speak to you alone. Did you need to come here for Christmas? After Hogwarts, or even now if you want. Anyway, just turn up if you need to, and I'll make sure you're let in. Don't feel like you have to put up with anything!_

_So, what's Hogwarts like at Christmas? Have you found any new passageways or anything? More likely you've been holed up in the library, if it's open, or else the common room, enjoying the peace and quiet and reading! It's pretty quiet here at the Manor, too, come to mention it. Father's been at the Ministry all morning and Mum's in bed with a bad headache. Still, it's not like there's nothing to do around here, so I can't complain._

_Please write back, I'm bored out of my skull really!_

_Draco_

_PS: I'm going flying in a second, though, so don't feel bad if you can't write back straight away._

Cassie looked at the clock. It had been several hours since she had received the letters, so Draco would be back on the ground now. But it had also been a long time since she had sent that message to Severus. Where was he? She wandered over to the table and picked up the parchment.

_I really won't be home for a day – I'm sorry. Turns out I really am going to have to do what Dumbledore said, just a little bit. Will you be alright alone?_

_I'll go to my blond friend's – he just invited me._

Hoping this would be enough to appease Severus, she picked up a clean piece of parchment and began to reply to her letters.

--

Severus cursed his luck. Of all the times for Quirrel to actually leave his house, it had to be just when Cassie was at Spinner's End, alone. He had read her message, but wasn't particularly reassured to hear that his little cousin was merrily tripping off to stay, unannounced, with a family of pure-blood fascists. On the other hand, she seemed to get on well with Draco most of the time, so perhaps she could cope. Besides, she was at least half-blood, if not pure-blood, and as long as Lucius knew that much about her, there was no reason that he and Narcissa should be anything less than perfectly sweet towards their son's friend.

--

_Dear Kenya,_

_You really didn't have to get me anything, but thank you! That reminds me, I have to go and get Christmas presents for all my friends some time soon. And probably my cousin, who I'm now getting on pretty well with._

_I'm glad to hear your apprenticeship is going well. I won't need another cauldron for a while yet anyway, so I can wait until you guys start international trading before I buy one off you! Your brother sounds sweet, by the way. Tell him to fly carefully!_

_I assume you're being home-schooled in all the stuff Hogwarts would have taught you, right? Have you done the bit in History of Magic about all those goblin wars? If so, is there any chance you could owl me your notes, because Professor Binns' lessons are dead boring. Excuse the pun._

_Write back when you can,_

_Cassie_

_PS: I don't know where my father is, since you were wondering why I don't live with him. Never met him._

_--_

_Dear Laura,_

_Yes, Hogwarts is terribly boring without you, and yes, I am the only Slytherin still here. Your brothers sound… um… entertaining. Have they stopped fighting over that cracker yet? Give your Mum lots of hugs this Christmas, by the way!_

_I am well, thank you, and need to remember to go shopping at some point over the break. I haven't been shopping in ages, not properly (Diagon Alley doesn't count, not when you're shopping for school supplies). Have you heard from your friend from Beauxbatons this Christmas? If you're writing to her any time soon, tell her your friend Cassie wishes her a happy Christmas!_

_I'll write again soon,_

_Love_

_Cassie_

_--_

_Dear Draco,_

_Thank you for your letter._

--

Draco was staring out of his window. His mother had gone to Diagon Alley, leaving him strict instructions not to leave the house. Of course, now that she'd said that, the hundreds of rooms of Malfoy Manor held no appeal for him any more, and all he wanted to do was go for a walk in the fresh air, or go flying again. He was just contemplating whether it was worth incurring his parents' wrath by sneaking outside when his father stepped out of the fireplace. Draco immediately decided that inside was best.

That was when the owl arrived.

_Dear Draco,_

_Thank you for your letter. It really cheered me up. Hogwarts is really quiet with no Slytherins around. You know me too well – I have been reading for most of the break so far._

_My cousin and I are trying to sort things out between us; in fact he asked me to come back slightly earlier than planned so I'm at his house now. Thing is, he's been called away on business and now I reckon I'm probably more bored than you are. I don't suppose I could take you up on that offer, could I, just for tonight or something? If not, I'll head back to Hogwarts._

_Cassie_

"Dad…" Lucius looked sharply at his son at the sound of the distinctive I-want-something tone of voice. "What do you want now, Draco?" Draco gulped; that wasn't the reaction he'd been hoping for. His father sighed. "Sorry, I've had a bad day. What was it you were going to say?" Draco paused, phrasing his question carefully. "Please may I have a friend to sleep over and keep me company?" Lucius took the proffered letter. "Cassie is a witch's name. Well, I suppose I can get Dobby to make up the spare room nearest yours… What's her surname?" This was the big test. "Prince. Cassandra Prince." Lucius called Dobby, muttered something Draco didn't hear, and watched the house-elf disappear with a loud crack. "I'll think about it." He swept into his study, leaving Draco to wait.


	18. Malfoy Manor

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so are Laura and Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Please remember as the story progresses that it is set in an AU and I am going to take it off on tangents at points! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter – if you do, **_**please review**_**! It really makes me want to write more (I know a lot of people say that but there is a simple reason – it is true!)**

**Thanks to bored2hyperness for your review, as always!**

**Sorry this took so long, but since my holiday I've been going around looking at universities and things and I've been a little tired so my writing's been suffering. Anyway, here it is and I won't take so long with the next chapter, I hope. Enjoy, and if you do, please review! :)**

_Dear Cassie,_

_Dad says that's fine, and I personally can't wait to see you. Where can we pick you up from?_

_Draco_

Cassie panicked a little.

_Dear Draco,_

_Thank you. You're the best! If you could just give me a few minutes to grab my things, I can meet you in the Hog's Head, Hogsmeade. That OK?_

_Cassie_

--

In fact, Cassie was already installed on a tall stool in the Hog's Head, sipping a pumpkin juice on the rocks, when a tall blond man unfurled himself from the fire, closely followed by the familiar face of her friend. "Cassie!" He strode across and took her trunk from her, dragging it across to the taller man Cassie presumed to be his father. "Draco, it's so good to see you. Are you Mr Malfoy, sir?" The older man stopped glancing disdainfully around the pub and met her eyes. "I am. You must be Miss Prince?" She offered her hand for him to shake. "I am. Thank you ever so much for allowing me to come to visit you, and especially for taking the trouble to collect me." He took the hand and shook it before gesturing towards the fire. "Shall we?"

She seemed polite, anyway, even if Dobby had reported that only her late mother's details were listed in the governors' copy of her Hogwarts file. She was at least half-blood, so Lucius had no real problem with such a pleasant young witch keeping his son company for a few days. Perhaps it would stop the boy's incessant pleas for attention, and at the very least she might help keep the boy from going insane with boredom while his parents were otherwise engaged. "I must leave, I'm afraid, Miss Prince, but I'm sure Draco will show you around, and I will see you both this evening at dinner."

--

Cassie had never seen such opulence as she encountered on her grand tour of Malfoy Manor. Room after room was proudly (if a little wearily) displayed as Draco escorted her up through each floor of the house. On the third floor, however, Cassie suddenly stopped, leaving her young host chatting amicably to an antique vase about his father's collection of medieval tapestries. "Draco, your garden!" He turned and quickly joined her at the window and surveyed the scene, searching for anything out of the ordinary. "What about it?" She treated him to her best incredulous look. "It's massive, silly!"

She didn't seem to be joking. Now that he thought about it, he supposed his garden _was_ pretty cool, especially when it was covered in snow as it was now. Still, no one called him silly and got away with it. "Silly? That does it! I challenge you… to a snowball fight!" He clattered down the nearest stairs, and the chase was on.

Two hours later, the two friends collapsed, comfortably exhausted, in the now. Cassie laughed as Draco shook snow from his almost-white, platinum blond hair. "If you were wearing white robes now, I bet you could hide in this snow. You'd be invisible!" Draco grinned, then began prowling around. "That's not going to work, Draco. Your robes are grey." He stooped and scooped up a lump of snow, bearing it triumphantly back towards her as if it were a precious treasure. Cassie leaned forward to see what he was so pleased about. That was when an eye appeared in the snow.

--

Narcissa Malfoy handed her shopping to Dobby and began wandering around the house in search of her son. She knew he had been terribly bored over the last few days, and although she couldn't really do anything to fix that, she wanted to check that he hadn't actually died of boredom. She knocked on his bedroom door on the third floor, but got no response. Perhaps he was out flying again. She turned to the very same window from which Cassie had first noticed the garden – and saw not one, but two shapes gambolling in the snow and throwing themselves down to clutch at the soft white lumps. "_Sonorous_", she whispered. "DRACO MALFOY, WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT CHASING THE PEAFOWL?"

When they returned to the house, shame-faced, Narcissa was standing in the hall waiting for them. "Draco, are you going to introduce me to your friend?" The Malfoy heir switched his deeply concentrated gaze from his own shoes to Cassie's. "This is my friend Cassie Prince, Mum. She's staying with us for a day or two. Dad said it was OK…" He gave her a pleading look. "Well, it's lovely to meet you, Cassie. You two can go back and play if you want, but no chasing the peacocks and be sure to come in before you catch cold. Dinner will be at eight." They rushed back outside with whoops of joy and began pelting each other with snowballs again.

--

At half past seven, Lucius Malfoy apparated outside the gates with a faint pop and passed effortlessly through the wards into the grounds of Malfoy Manor. Half way up the driveway he noticed three pale, snowy shapes. One was only about a foot high, which he thought was a disgraceful attempt at a snowman. Perhaps it had been intended as a head, but now it stood beside two larger structures. As he passed, however, one of them bowled him over, the other shouting "Boo!" The tiny lump of snow remained still.

"Draco! That's not funny! What if I had been someone else? You might have scared them!" He pulled himself to his feet. "And you might have caught your death of cold – you too, Miss Prince. Get inside, both of you, and warm up." His breathing was beginning to return to normal and he quickly returned his wand to his pocket before they could notice he had drawn it.

Cassie elbowed Draco as they turned away and he stopped. "Dobby, return to the kitchen." The small lump of snow shook itself and the little house-elf emerged, shivering. "Yes, M-M-Master Draco." There was a loud crack and he was gone. "Race you to the house, Cass!" The youngsters were off. Lucius followed, slowly. That boy was going to be the death of him.

Dinner was a fairly tranquil affair, Lucius and Narcissa talking quietly at one end of the table and Cassie and Draco at the other. When the first course appeared on her plate, however, Cassie panicked. What on earth were all these different knives for? She glanced at Draco to follow his lead, but he was waiting for her to eat before he began. Narcissa and Lucius were too far away to copy. She was going to make a fool of herself… Suddenly a long-fingered hand pushed the outermost knife and fork into her hands, and leaving it to chance, she decided to use them. Draco did the same, and she relaxed into an easy conversation with her friend.

Dobby and Draco both showed her to her room for the night, and when Draco had departed to his own chamber, Cassie thanked Dobby for his help at dinner. He shrugged it off and disappeared, but she knew that he was not bound to serve her and had shown her the cutlery purely out of the goodness of his heart. She would have hated to embarrass herself in front of the Malfoys.

--

Severus was in Dumbledore's office. "Headmaster, I believe it would be best if you called Quirrel back for staff duties early. That way you can keep an eye on him and I can go home." Dumbledore twinkled at him. "Consider it done, Severus. You have done very well to bring me the information you have, and it is true that he might pose less of a threat within the castle than outside it. You may go."

--

When she awoke, she found Draco in her room. He was fiddling with something, his back to her, and she instinctively pretended to still be asleep, watching him intently. All she could see was the occasional cloud of glitter billowing out from behind him. No doubt some prank was afoot. Suddenly, he straightened up, throwing a balloon over her head and then prodding it with what looked like a sewing needle. Cassie shrieked as she was covered in glitter, Draco laughing as she batted it away and finally settled to just watch the sparkling patterns drifting down on her. "Luckily this room has it's own bathroom – I'll see you at breakfast after you've had your shower…" She glared at him and made a mental note to pay him back later.

It was 12 o'clock when Cassie finally collected her trunk from her room and stepped into the fireplace. "Thank you for having me over, Draco. Please thank your parents for me when they get home, and have a great Chris- Oh, I almost forgot!" She quickly opened her trunk and rummaged to the bottom, re-emerging with a present, roughly wrapped in shiny green and silver paper. "I'm sorry it's not much, and it's really badly wrapped, but… Merry Christmas!" He produced a similar package from behind his back, neatly wrapped in green, with the Malfoy coat of arms embossed on it in silver. "Looks like our colour schemes match – Slytherin forever! Merry Christmas, Cassie." She hugged him as they exchanged the gifts. "You shouldn't have… But thank you… I'd better go… Goodbye!" She had accidentally dropped the Floo powder, and she had to move before the flames changed colour again. "The Hog's Head!"

She was gone. Draco wandered off to the library, to see what extravagant gift his father had left him today.


	19. Spinner's End Again

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so are Laura and Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Yes, I am alive! Rejoice!**

**Excuse time: the internet on my laptop has broken so I have to painstakingly transfer this across to my family's main PC to upload it. Not to mention I found this ridiculously hard to write! Sorry for the delay. Grovels**

**Enjoy, and if you do, please review! :)**

**Bored2hyperness: Thanks for reviewing again! You'll find out what they got each other some time or another. **

**TIKVA: Thanks for reviewing – I was going for the 'cute' effect, nice to know I've still got it!**

**Insane Elvish Vampire Pirate: Thank you for your review, I think I replied?**

**Joyce LaKee: Thanks! Here's an update :)**

**--**

_Dear Cassie,_

_Yeah, my older brother cracked their heads together and now they're behaving. We don't normally have Wizard Crackers, you see – Mum thinks they make Christmas too commercial and she likes it to be just a time of quiet family comfort – but I convinced her to pick some up when she collected me from the train at King's Cross. Anyway, all is now well. I can't believe how the holidays are flying by; it can't be more than a week before we go back to school… how depressing. But I'm looking forward to seeing all the girls (and Draco) of course!_

_I hope your Christmas shopping went well, and here's your present (unless the stupid bird's dropped it en route). Enjoy the rest of your holidays, Merry Christmas and all that!_

_Laura_

Mopsus, perched on Cassie's shoulder, nipped her ear affectionately. The instant the girl had emerged from the fireplace, the bird had hooted softly and offered her leg. Cassie absent-mindedly stroked her head, scanning Laura's letter again before sitting down, her letter from Kenya unopened, to reply.

_Dear Laura,_

_I had to owl-order everyone's presents in the end, so yours should be with you shortly. Mopsus clearly isn't as stupid as you think; I only found one broken cup when I got home, and your present was fine. She just needs to work on her landing, I think. The weight of the packages seems to put her off-balance…Have a good Christmas!_

_Cassie_

She ruffled the bird's head-feathers affectionately and turned to Kenya's letter.

_Dear Cassie,_

_I'm glad you and your cousin are getting on well – you must be very close; you mention him a lot. Yeah, my brother can be sweet but most of the time he's a real brat. As for goblin wars: I haven't a clue about them… I doubt my notes would be much good anyway, though, since you're probably studying the British goblin rebellions, and my Magical History course is more Romanian-based. Besides, I'm not doing that much school work, only about two days a week, because of my apprenticeship – how lucky am I?_

_Have a good Christmas – I probably won't be able to write until the next holidays, now. A cauldron maker's work is never done (even if she is a trainee)!_

_Kenya_

_PS: I suppose that makes it a little easier, then? If you never knew him?_

She had a feeling they were getting their wires crossed a little; Kenya didn't seem to have realised that she _lived_ with her cousin, and Cassie was completely confused about the conversation about her father. She decided to put the letter away and reply to it later; the fireplace had just turned green and Severus was stepping serenely into the living room. She dislodged Mops as she stood up and apologised before rushing to put the kettle on.

--

"I'm very sorry to have disrupted your break in this way, Quintus, but Professor Snape was taken ill earlier today and has been sent home. I was rather hoping you could begin your duty here a little early? You may be able to have a few days off at the end of the holidays, instead." Quirrel didn't seem too bothered by Dumbledore's proposal. "No p-p-problem, Albus, no problem at all. Severus looked a little g-green at the st-staff meeting, actually." The Headmaster chuckled. "That might have been because that piece of parchment he confiscated called him an overgrown dungeon-dwelling bat…"

--

Severus appeared in the kitchen doorway to find his cousin busy with the teapot. He took it from her and continued to make the tea. "I'm sorry about that. You know the Headmaster, he does tend to get these ideas into his head… Did you have a good time at the Malfoys'?"

Severus chuckled as Cassie breathlessly finished her story. "Albino peacocks? That sounds like fun. How can I top albino peacock-chasing?" She grinned at him. "How about you show me how to make some cool potions?" He stared at her blankly. "Cool?" She rolled her eyes. "Not as in cold, as in fun, useful potions. Like… I don't know, something I can slip into Draco's pumpkin juice and make him turn green…" Severus smirked. "I'm not sure that's a good idea, but there should be some others I can show you. 'Cool' ones."

--

It seemed like no time at all before Christmas Eve rolled round. Severus was a fair cook (after all, it was quite close in nature to brewing potions) and Christmas dinner was being slow-cooked by the evening before. They had pulled Muggle crackers and Cassie had eventually persuaded Severus to wear his ridiculous paper hat by threatening to put a Permanent Sticking Charm on it if he didn't. In the past few days they had been to see a West End show about witches, which was highly inaccurate but fascinated them both, learned two interesting Potions, gone skating on a pond near Spinner's End, and played Gobstones until they couldn't keep their eyes open each night. Now Cassie was reading the book Hermione had got her for her birthday and Severus was trying to teach Mops to loop the loop. So far, three clocks, four lamps and a chair had been knocked to the ground in the attempt. Snape, undaunted, had simply repaired each one and tried again. So far he had succeeded in teaching the owl to drop almost to floor level and do a barrel roll, which was something, he supposed.

Cassie was ignoring them, thoroughly absorbed in Chapter Three.

_Witches and their magic can also be affected by emotions. Some emotions may rob you of your natural abilities, while others increase the power of your spells. As a result, it is very important that you can properly direct and control your magic. Fortunately, this is easy to achieve through simple practice – this is the reason that untrained magical children often find themselves performing emotional (also known as 'intuitive' or 'accidental') magic, but older wizards and witches do not encounter this problem so often._

Mops hit her in the back of the head and she gave up on reading. "Severus, stop trying to hide your wand. I know perfectly well that you just levitated a poor, innocent creature straight at my skull to distract me from my _fascinating _book." Her cousin had become almost childish in his attempts to get her attention; now, however, he drew himself up to his full height and glared at her. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing, Cassandra? Shame on you." They both burst out laughing.

"Sickle for your thoughts, Cassie?" She had been staring into the fire for a good five minutes, apparently unaware that Severus had stuck three paper hats and a generous length of tinsel on her head with a Temporary Sticking Charm. "Hmm? Oh, I was just thinking how our Mums would have loved this; us two getting along, sharing Christmas. Do you think they ever wished they'd never fallen out?" He plopped down into the seat beside her, suddenly wistful. "I know my Mum did, every single day of her life. Of course, she also wished she'd never met my father…" It was his turn to stare into the fire until Cassie broke the silence. "Mine too. So, where's that Sickle you mentioned?"

--

Christmas Day passed peacefully and contentedly. Severus had refused to dress up as Santa for the occasion, but when Cassie made her way downstairs that morning she found the little tree they'd had up all Christmas had been completely transformed, the old Muggle decorations gone. In their place were enchanted reindeer pulling a sleigh round and round the top branches, tiny twinkling stars glittering all over the tree – and, in fact, the room – and a beautiful angel perched at the top of the tree, scattering snow each time the reindeer passed. Cassie couldn't help but to stare at it in awe.

"Severus, that's beautiful… Wow." He had walked in to find her still gazing, enchanted, at the tree. His response to the unexpected compliment to his decoration skills was to grab a couple of Wizard Crackers, tossing one to his cousin and offering her one end of his own to pull. To his surprise, however, she brought her cracker round and jabbed at him with it, catching him off guard as she assumed a fencing stance. Severus recovered quickly and a ferocious duel began.

It was an hour later, after breakfast and cracker-pulling, that they finally settled at the foot of the tree to get down to the serious business of opening presents. Severus was wearing a striped top-hat which, ridiculous though it was, seemed to suit him somehow. Cassie had donned the orange, glowing tiara that had fallen out of her cracker along with a new Wizard's Chess set, now stowed in her trunk with her veteran troops. Snow was softly falling from the boughs of the tree, so they had to burrow their way into a small drift to find their gifts.

The first brightly-wrapped parcel Cassie found was addressed to Severus and tied with tartan ribbon. She duly passed it to him and received a heavy, shoebox-sized package in return. It didn't rattle when she shook it, although Severus obviously found this very act amusing. "What?" He chuckled. "If you want to know what it is, why don't you just open it?" She looked slightly embarrassed and shook her head. "Nope, we've got more digging to do!" So saying, she plunged once more into the snow, her cousin soon following suit.

They finally agreed that they had probably recovered all of the presents they were likely to get, and Cassie threw a handful of snow at Severus. "Happy Christmas!" He spluttered at her. "I forgot to give you your present, Cassie… here!" He threw a snowball at her and she shivered. "Snowball fights aren't so much fun inside, I don't think… Open something?" He reached for the first present she had found, fiddling with the tartan ribbon. "I will if you will." She grabbed her first present, and checking the label, found that it was from Hermione. She was very glad that she had had the foresight to send her Gryffindor friend something. "Aren't you going to see who yours is from?" He shrugged. "Professor McGonagall. Merlin knows why, but she always insists on giving me something, normally something that's supposed to be funny. I always send her something, too!" He added, at the questioning look on his cousin's face. "Not to would be rude." Without another word she opened her gift and he pulled the ribbon on his. It was strangely exciting and Christmassy to open one's gifts in company; it certainly felt more fun than all those years alone.

Severus stared, baffled, at the wooden cube that slid from the wrapping paper onto the floor. "What on earth is that?" A note had fallen out of the small slot at the bottom of the box, and he flipped it over.

_Dear Severus,_

_I hope you are enjoying the holidays. I just thought you might appreciate this, being an 'overgrown, dungeon-dwelling bat'… If it's not really your size, I'm sure there'll be some creatures near your house who could use a place to stay!_

_See you next term, when Gryffindor will leave no doubt as to which is the best House at Hogwarts,_

_Minerva McGonagall._

Cassie glanced at it, then at his face, and burst out laughing. "Professor McGonagall sent you a bat-box because of my insult?" He looked at her blankly. "A bat nesting box? You attach it to the side of the house, and bats live in it. That would be so cool…" He grinned, finally seeing the funny side. "I'll stick it up there later. So, what did you get?" Cassie gestured at the box she had unwrapped and set aside to admire Severus' present. "Well, are you going to open it?" She rushed across and tore the lid off of the shoebox. Hermione certainly knew how to cram things into small spaces! The box was packed solid with assorted Wizarding and Muggle sweets, so full that it was no wonder it hadn't rattled earlier. Cassie took one look at the Happy Hippos nestled among the Chocolate Frogs and burst out laughing.

Severus peered over her shoulder at the contents of the box – it was true that there was a very odd collection of confectionery in there, but he saw no reason for the tears now streaming down his cousin's cheeks. After a few seconds, curiosity got the better of him. "What's so funny?" She wiped her eyes. "Great minds think alike… even down to the Freddos. I sent her a box full of assorted sweets – took me ages to find them all Owl Order – in a shoebox that didn't even rattle in the end, it was so full…" He had to smile. "Next presents?" Well, that was never going to be met with an argument.

An hour later, there were only four more presents to be opened; two for Cassie and two addressed to Severus. They were, by now, surrounded by wrapping paper and wonderful gifts. Severus had unwrapped the usual huge box of Sugar Quills and Chocolate Cauldrons from Hogwarts – every teacher got Sugar Quills and another kind of sweet tailored to their subject. Albus had also sent him a present; socks. They were brightly coloured with a Christmas design and there was no way Severus would ever wear them without transfiguring them first. Still, he appreciated the sentiment. Not many people sent him presents; he had set the socks aside and watched as Cassie unwrapped two new books. Kenya had sent her 'A Kalderash Christmas', which turned out to be full of her people's recipes, traditions and anecdotes about the festive season. Laura had given her 'Getting Good at Gobstones' with a scribbled dedication in the front. _To Cassie – Not that you need this! Laura x._

As Cassie picked up the crest-embossed paper with Draco's present snugly wrapped up inside, Severus lifted a similar parcel. He tore into it to find a note from Lucius – _You might enjoy this_ – and a book. He quickly folded it back into its wrapping and smiled at Cassie as she slid a small, flat box onto her lap. Opening it, she discovered a beautiful silver bracelet shimmering with a single charm; a tiny silver snake with emeralds for eyes. "Severus, look at this…" He did; it was beautifully crafted. Meanwhile, Cassie was slipping it onto her wrist and extracting a piece of folded paper from the box.

_Dear Cassie,_

_I hope you like the charm bracelet. It's actually charmed so that if you're not meant to be wearing it (in class or something) nobody but you will be able to see it. Neat, huh? Obviously, that doesn't mean you have to wear it all the time, but if you happened to have it on when your evil old great-aunt who hated you wearing jewellery turned up out of the blue, you'd be spared the lecture. The place that sells the charms is called _Enchanting_, it's a little boutique tucked away in a corner of Hogsmeade. I expect I'll get you some more for future Christmases and birthdays, too, because I'm not very imaginative…_

_Hope you're enjoying your holidays,_

_Draco._

"Extraordinary craftsmanship. Do you want to go and put all these," he gestured at her presents, lying on the floor under the mountains of paper, "upstairs, so I can Vanish all this mess?" She hurried to obey, returning a few minutes later to find the floor clear except for the two remaining unopened presents. Severus was fiddling absent-mindedly with the ribbon of his, and Cassie smiled nervously at him. "Go on. Open it." As she settled herself opposite him, he slid the paper off to reveal a box of home-made (well, she'd taken the ingredients to the Manor and little Dobby had helped her with them in the dead of night, actually) chocolates and two books; _Why Young Witches Are Dangerous and How to Prevent Permanent Mental Scarring_, a satirical tome which she had rightly supposed would get a laugh out of her cousin, and _Obscure Potions Ingredients and their Properties_, which she would have assumed he had already read and memorised except that it had only been released the previous August and Severus had shunted his other books along a little to leave space for his intended purchase. The space was still there; he hadn't had a spare moment to go to Flourish and Blott's, having completely forgotten the day they were in Diagon Alley. He smiled at her. "Thank you. Just what I wanted, as you well know. And the chocolates look delicious…" She couldn't wait any longer and ripped the paper from the present he had chosen her.

It was a smooth mahogany box, worn with age and obviously well-loved by it's previous owner, whoever that was. "Open it." Severus sounded impatient, but Cassie hesitated, admiring the intricate design carved on the outside of the box, tracing the swirl of a wooden vine with her finger before undoing the clasps and gently lifting the lid, folding it back to form a perfect Gobstones board.

The pieces waited, gleaming, in the hollows at each side of the playing area. "It's wonderful…" She had finally found her voice. Severus smiled. "It belonged to our grandfather, years ago. I learned to play with this set, and so did both of our mothers. It's your turn to have it now." He picked up one of the spheres and gazed at it, contemplating something. "The board itself has a secret or two, which I'm sure you'll figure out soon enough." She wondered at that, but more pressing matters were at hand. "So, reckon you can beat me again?" He looked affronted. "Of course."

He did indeed win the game that followed… and several games after that. Eventually they both decided that they had played enough for one day, and Cassie curled up with '_Getting Good at Gobstones'_. Next time, she was determined that she would win.

--

Hours later, after an enormous dinner, Cassie tucked her books back into her case and went to say goodnight to her cousin. "This has been a lovely Christmas. Thanks, Sev." He seemed to undergo a transformation from contented to furious right before her eyes. "Don't you _ever_ call me that!" Startled by his sudden change in demeanour, Cassie unwisely decided to try cheer her cousin up by teasing him. "Why not? Am I not a good enough friend to shorten your name?" This didn't go as she had hoped. He glared. "I barely know you, and you clearly don't know me well enough to leave it!""Well, perhaps if you hadn't been such an on-off guardian all year, I would know you better!" She was as angry as he was, now. "If I'm such a bad guardian, why don't you just get out and go back to Hogwarts?"

There was a pause as Cassie stared uncertainly at him. "I mean it! Just leave!" She rushed upstairs to get her trunk and before either of them really knew what was happening she was throwing powder onto the flames. "Fine. Headmaster's office, Hogwarts!" She was gone, leaving Severus with only the scent of lavender for company.


	20. Not Your Face

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so are Laura and Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Please remember as the story progresses that it is set in an AU and I am going to take it off on tangents at points!)**

**Thanks to Joyce LaKee and bored2hyperness for your reviews!**

**Joyce LaKee: Glad you liked it, more of that kind of thing to come hopefully**

**bored2hyperness: Fear not, these little quarrels rarely last long.**

**This was, for some reason, really difficult to write. I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, please review! :)**

_Lily looked up at her friend as they sat in the park, reading. "Sev…" He grimaced without looking up. "Oh dear. That tone of voice can only mean trouble." She pulled a face at him and continued, "After Hogwarts, what do you want to do?" He thought for a second before meeting her eyes. "Get a job and move out." She wasn't satisfied and, giggling, pressed for more. "What kind of job, silly? Where would you move to?" He shrugged. "What do you think I should do? Maybe… Don't laugh, but I thought maybe I could be a teacher. Dunno what subject, but… Just a thought. What do you think?"_

--

Cassie padded into the Slytherin dormitory and curled up, miserable about the end of Christmas and the way in which the day had ended. As soon as she had arrived in the Headmaster's fireplace she had felt calmer, although whether this was because of the school itself, the lavender oil she'd mixed into her Floo powder, or Dumbledore's calm acceptance of her sudden and premature reappearance, she could not say. However, the dorm seemed colder than usual and it was a restless, miserable Cassie that drifted off to sleep that night.

At breakfast the next morning she sat with her Ravenclaw friends from the second year. Unlike Dumbledore, they were anxious to know where she had been; she kept her story simple and brief, omitting to mention the quarrel, and fortunately the other girls were soon distracted. "Ooh, Potter looks as if he hasn't slept! Maybe he's finally managed to use his celebrity status to score… If you know what I mean." Cassie raised an eyebrow. "I hardly think so – he's in my year." Marietta looked at her as if she'd sprouted horns. "So? He's the _famous Harry Potter!_"

"Marie, that's disgusting. Leave the poor kid alone." Cho reprimanded her friend before changing the subject. "Those plant cuttings have taken really well, by the way, Cassie. Do you want to come and see them some time?"

--

"I don't see why I have to be blindfolded." Cassie grumbled as she was led through the castle. "If you knew where our common room was, you might be able to wander in and out as you wanted, according to Flitwick, which is against the rules. Of course, he's being paranoid. Only a Ravenclaw could possibly pass the Eagle."

Marietta's explanation left a few puzzles for Cassie. _Pass the Eagle?_ What was that supposed to mean? "What's the Eagle?" Cho answered hurriedly. "It's a sort of test, to get into the common room. Don't worry, only one of us has to do it." Next, Cassie heard an unfamiliar voice. "Second years, yes? Name one exception to Gamp's Elemental Law- that is, what can't you conjure out of thin air?" After a moment's pause, Marie spoke up. "Um… food?" There was a sigh. "Everyone always says food. Yes, you may enter."

As she was led over the threshold, Cassie wondered why nobody had thought of the most obvious answer: _people_. Cassie had found this out when she was four years old and her mother had caught her with her wand, trying to magic herself up a family, with a Daddy and a big brother and everything. Meredith had gently explained to her daughter that it didn't work like that. Magic couldn't fix everything. It couldn't bring back the dead.

--

"_So… What do __you__ want to be after Hogwarts, then?" She smiled and tossed her ponytail back over her shoulder. "A star! A Quidditch star, maybe. No, wait. I can't fly." Dropping the humorous tone, she shrugged, mimicking his motions of earlier on. "I don't know. What jobs __are__ there in the wizarding world, anyway?" He smiled at her ignorance. "You could… train security trolls? Be a curse-breaker for Gringotts?" Lily laughed. "What are you going to suggest next? That I become an Auror? Don't throw all the dangerous jobs my way, Sev, anyone would think you were trying to get rid of me." He grabbed her hand. "Of course not. I would never want to get rid of you." She squeezed his hand before letting go. "So, what other jobs are there? Teacher… Healer… Dangerous things… I might become Minister for Magic. That could be fun." The solemn expression on her face was too much and they both burst out laughing._

--

As the blindfold was taken off, Cassie gaped in wonder at the common room. Right in front of her stood a statue of the House's founder, Rowena Ravenclaw, and in every blue-curtained window of the tower room there was a neat row of books. Clearly these Ravenclaws really did value their studying! Cho breezed straight over to one such window and lifted the entire bookshelf out of the way to reveal another neat row, this one of plant pots shrouded in blue netting. "We had to put the bookshelves up so that we could hide the plants… but they needed to be on the windowsill. The netting is to stop them from burning up in the direct sunlight. Look how well the Flitterbloom's doing! And the Tentacula's over in that corner somewhere," she gestured vaguely at the round room, "we had to make sure the first-years couldn't get to it by mistake. Of course, it nearly ate Marie yesterday but that's OK; it's only Marie after all." She was playfully punched by her friend, who took over the tour. "There's nothing behind the Charms and Herbology bookcase – Flitwick and Sprout like a little wager against each other and we didn't want to risk him finding the plants while he was trying to read up on the subject behind her back. Then over there are some of the other plants and there are a couple upstairs, too. So, that's the tour. Want to play Exploding Snap?"

It was nearly midnight when Professor Flitwick appeared in their midst, looking thoroughly irritated. "Will you girls just go to sleep already?" The cards exploded loudly and someone cheered. "I mean it! I will be back in five minutes and I don't want to see a single person in this common room." Marie, Cho and their friends did try. "But sir-" "But nothing! No exceptions! Go to bed!" He left and, after a few hurried goodbyes, Cassie followed into an empty corridor that she didn't recognise. _Think, Cassie, think._ She had just left one of the towers, she knew, so she would have to go right down through the whole castle to reach the dungeons. She spotted a tall ghost and followed along in her light, praying she wouldn't run into Filch or his cat.

They had only got as far as the fifth floor when Cassie heard voices headed her way. She dashed into the nearest room and hid behind the only piece of furniture as the voices seemed to follow her in. She could hear the conversation between the two boys clearly as they approached her hiding place.

"See?" One whispered.

"I can't see anything."

"Look! Look at them all… There are loads of them…"

"I can only see you."

"Look in it properly, go on, stand where I am."

It sounded to Cassie as if they boys had risked Filch's wrath by being out of bed after curfew just to look in the dusty old mirror she was crouched behind. How vain _were_ these boys anyway?

"Look at _me_!" They weren't whispering any more.

"Can you see all your family standing around you?"

"No – I'm alone – but I'm different – I look older – and I'm Head Boy!"

A mirror that showed your family? But… Maybe it only worked if your family were alive. Maybe the second boy was an orphan like herself. Maybe in that case it showed… what your parents would have wanted for you; or what you could do to make them proud, to be like them. No doubt Cassie would see herself as captain of the Gobstones Team, head of the Chess Club and president of the Potions Society. That would please her family no end.

"Do you think this mirror shows the future?"

Merlin, she hoped not; what a boring future it would be for the one who was going to be Head Boy. Mind you, he was probably the studious, bookish, intelligent type who would love the position of academic power. His friend's voice caught Cassie's attention. "How can it? All my family are dead-" They were arguing now about whose turn it was in front of the mirror, but Cassie had stopped listening. The first boy, not the second, was the orphan, and the mirror could show you your dead family? Cassie's heart leapt – would she be able to see her mother again? Might she find out who her father was at last?

"Quick!" She peered around the frame of the mirror to try to ascertain the cause of their panic. There was nobody there except a cat with large yellow eyes; Cassie shrank back and after a minute the cat stopped staring and left. "This isn't safe – she might have gone for Filch, I bet she heard us. Come on." Noisy footsteps hurried out into the corridor and away. Cassie jumped up to follow suit, but she couldn't resist just one look in the mirror before she left. If the mirror showed dead people…

Sure enough, when she looked into the glass, her mother was smiling back at her, her hand on her reflection's shoulder. Never had Cassie so wanted to swap places with anyone in her life. To have her mum's comforting hand on her shoulder again… She sighed and met her Aunt's eyes in the mirror beside her mother. Eileen waved shyly at the niece she'd never known. Her husband was nowhere to be seen; Cassie knew that he was a drunken, violent Muggle. Perhaps the mirror didn't show Muggles or perhaps it was just that even in death he was off down the pub rather than at his wife's side. A shadowy shape stood beside her mother, face obscured by the frame of the mirror, her father's identity still hidden. Behind them all towered a tall, pale man with jet-black hair and eyes to match. Cassie stared into the mirror full of dead people in horror. There could be only one explanation for the reflection staring back at her.

Severus Snape was dead.

--

"_Ickle firstie, out of bed, Peeves'll drop something on his head…" Severus looked up, irritated. "Shut up, Peeves, it's an hour until curfew. And I'm a fifth-year." Peeves disappeared round the corner, cackling madly, which no doubt meant that he was going in search of something heavy to help him carry out his threat. Severus hurried on along the fifth-floor corridor towards the staircase that would – if it was in a good mood – take him to the entrance of Gryffindor Tower. He had to talk to Lily; he'd been out of line earlier and for once he didn't mind admitting he was wrong. If he could get Lily back the humiliation would be worth it. He strode purposefully down the corridor._

"Students out of bed? Oh, let me get the thumbscrews out…" Severus looked up, irritated. "Thank you, Argus, but I'll see to it from here. Perhaps you could check that the Restricted Section is safe tonight?" Filch disappeared around the corner, muttering disappointedly, and woe betide any student who crossed his path. Snape strode purposefully into the room to confront a small shadow.

He had been thinking about Lily all day, but it was a shock to hear the small figure moaning as if wounded. "Sev, no, not Sev, no…" He stopped a moment, confused, and the figure looked up into the mirror.

--

Cassie looked up. Her mother, Aunt Eileen and her mysterious father had all vanished and now only she and Severus stood in the mirror. This Severus, however, looked more solid, more like a real reflection. She turned around.

He looked as surprised as she did when their eyes met, but not half as surprised as he looked a second later when she attached herself to the front of his robes. "You're not dead! I'm so sorry I called you Sev and I'll never do it again if you don't want me to but please don't be angry anymore and when did you get back and you're not dead, you're alive you're alive!" He didn't register a lot of that. "Why aren't you in bed? Let's go back to the common room and talk there." She didn't move. "But… Why were you in the mirror when you're alive?"

He guided her over to the mirror again and stepped back. "What do you see?" She described the picture to him and he almost smiled. "Do you mind if I look?" He took her place in front of the glass and gazed into the green eyes of Lily Evans, alive and well with his arm around her shoulder. So intent was his focus that he did not immediately notice the young girl stood beside them. _Cassie._ She was smiling and he followed her gaze to the other side of the mirror, where Eileen and Meredith sat together. "We should get back to the common room and I'll explain about the mirror. What are you doing out of bed anyway?"

--

"I'll tell you what I think that Mirror does. It doesn't show the dead; not exclusively anyway. If it is indeed the glass I believe it to be, Dumbledore has spoken of it to me. It is called the Mirror of Erised, and it shows you what you want; what you really want above all else." Cassie looked puzzled. "You saw a family; your family, just as you'd like it to be." Cassie nodded. "Severus… No, don't worry. I was going to ask… Forget it. Personal question." He met her eyes. "What did I see in the mirror? It's a fair question; I asked you, after all. But first I feel an apology is in order." She was quick to react. "I _am_ sorry about-"

"No," he stopped her. "_I'm_ sorry for what happened yesterday. Please, feel free to call me Sev if you so wish; we are family, after all. I overreacted and I apologise, but I think you deserve to know why."

"When I was a child, I spent most of my time on my own. I didn't really have any friends. My father was… rather harsh in the way he treated his family, especially when he found out what we were, and it made me very shy around other people. I assumed that, since anything my mother said caused a fight, anything I said would too. So I never spent time with people my own age. Then, one day, I was walking through the park, and I saw two girls who lived around the corner playing on the swings. One of them jumped off, and she drifted to the ground as gracefully as if someone was lifting her down. It was obvious that she was like me. Magic.

"I spent weeks working out what to say to her, how to tell her about our world; she was Muggle-born, she wouldn't have known. When I actually did introduce myself, she was upset and stormed off, but we became best friends. Until our fifth year at Hogwarts, in fact, we were almost inseparable, even though she was a Gryffindor. Then we fell out…" Severus seemed to snap out of a trance, getting back to the point. "She always used to call me Sev; she was the first person ever to give me a nickname apart from my mother, who used to call me Russ to appease my father. He thought Severus was a ridiculous name, and Russ sounded far more Muggle. But there was no affection in that nickname, only fear. Lily gave me a special name because she cared about me, and it meant a lot to me. I suppose… it just brought back memories when you called me by that name. But I'd like to think that you did so because you've come to care about me a little, too?" She tentatively reached out and hugged him. "Of course… Sev. You're my cousin, after all." He slowly, awkwardly reached his arms around to return her embrace, finally feeling accepted after all these years. He was no fool; he knew that there would continue to be ups and downs with his cousin, but he was determined to enjoy having these family moments when they did come along. He was definitely out of practice with giving hugs, though. "Sev… why don't you try to make up with her?" He sighed; of course she didn't know the story, and he wasn't about to tell her everything at the tender age of twelve. "She grew up and married someone, and they moved away. I wouldn't know how to get in touch with her now."

Everything he had just said was true. Even if he explained the full story to her when she was older, she couldn't accuse him of lying. "So… have you learnt any new tricks from your Gobstones book?" She gave him an impish grin. "Why don't you try me and find out?" He sighed and summoned the board he'd given her from her dormitory. "Fine, but if you think we're playing this for the next five days, you are sadly mistaken, young lady." Her smile just grew wider. "No, I know. We'll have to play some Wizard Chess, too." _Merlin,_ he thought, _I'm actually going to be looking forward to Albus' stupid party at this rate…_


	21. New Year's Eve

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so are Laura and Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I'm sorry it took so long to get this one posted, please forgive me and leave me a review or two!**

**Since this is the New Year's Eve karaoke party, you might like to go on YouTube or something and look up the songs. Here they are in order (I apologise for any inaccuracies):**

**Queen – It's a Kind of Magic**

**The Beach Boys – When I Grow Up To Be A Man**

**The Nolans – Gotta Pull Myself Together**

**Bob Marley - I Shot the Sheriff**

**Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody**

**Akon – Lonely**

**Steps – 5,6,7,8**

**The Village People – YMCA**

**Girls Aloud – Sound of the Underground**

**Fallout Boy – Thanks for the Memories**

**Martina McBride – This One's for the Girls**

**Kaiser Chiefs – Oh My God**

**Adam & Andrew – Emo Kid**

**Click 5 – Just the Girl**

**Nothing's Gonna Harm You**

**Anything You Can Do**

**Vashti Bunyan – Glow Worms**

**/longest author's note I've ever written**

"Welcome back, everybody. I hope you have all had a pleasant break. Now, as I said back in September-" Dumbledore broke off as Madam Pomfrey wrestled the enchanted microphone out of his grip. "No need for speeches; you all know we're here for a good old sing-song. Muggle or Wizarding Music, it's up to the individual performer. I hope lots of you will want to show off your musical talents." She paused to watch for a moment as Flitwick slipped in through the side entrance to be confronted by a quietly triumphant Sprout. "The cat _did_ get in again. Hand it over." Reluctantly, the little Charms Master pulled a gold coin from his pocket and surrendered it to his colleague, muttering a challenge as he did so. Madam Pomfrey continued, suppressing a smile at the pair's antics. "So… the first category is 'oldies'. Who wants to go first?" Nobody moved.

"Nobody? Come on, please…" For several seconds Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore appeared to be fighting for control of the microphone before the Headmaster waved it triumphantly aloft. "As I was saying, music is a wonderful thing. In fact, you could say…" He paused dramatically, then fireworks went off at the corners of the stage as the old wizard began to sing. _"It's a kind of magic…"_

Sprout passed the galleon back to Flitwick.

There was a smattering of stunned applause as Dumbledore took a bow and stepped back. "It's as if Queen were really with us! So, who wants to go next, now the Headmaster has broken the ice… or rather, crashed enthusiastically though it." Again, the students were showing a certain reluctance to step up to the stage. Dumbledore reached for the microphone again, Pomfrey surrendering it this time without protest. "If nobody wants a go, I'm quite happy to go onto _Don't Stop Me Now_…" There was a short conference between Sprout and Flitwick, then between Flitwick and a few other members of staff. Just as Dumbledore took a breath, Hagrid, Kettleburn and the Charms Master leapt onto the stage – or, in Hagrid's case, through it - and whispered in his ear. The Headmaster smiled, nodded, waited for Flitwick to fix the stage, and conjured up a few microphone stands and three more microphones before taking his place at the end of the row. Kettleburn raised a hand in the air in a rather rock and roll gesture (since he had lost all but his index and little fingers on the hand in question) "OK dudes," –the students winced- "this is a song by the Beach Boys. It's called _When I grow up to be a man!_" The students chuckled as the men on stage had done their growing a long time ago – especially Hagrid. They were even more amused when the barbershop quartet set off on the song. They finished to roof-raising cheers and before Madame Pomfrey could even open her mouth, Pansy, Lucille and Felicity were up at the front, dragging Cassie and Laura behind them.

"This is Pansy and the Slythettes bringing you _Gotta Pull Myself Together_, by the Nolans. Go!" There was a little sniggering, and the girls scowled at Pansy when she announced the name of their act, but the song didn't go as badly as expected – despite the dawning realisation that Pansy's mic seemed to be the only one working. Their success prompted a moment of uncharacteristic and foolish boldness from Crabbe and Goyle, who slouched up to the stage next. With no introduction, they launched into a falsetto version of _I Shot The Sheriff_. After the first few lines, there was an unexpected key change… and then another… The Weasley twins were nonchalantly flicking trouser-tightening charms from the back of the hall. The screeching noise the boys called singing was unbearable. Draco pulled his two best friends out into the Entrance Hall with him.

"How do you think they got that charm working, to make the music for each act play?" Cassie shouted to Draco over the din from the open doors behind them. "I don't know! But the fireworks were a nice touch. You guys were great, by the way!" Laura shrugged glumly. "I wasn't. I can't sing to save my life." Draco smiled. "Then let's hope such a situation never occurs." She laughed. "Seriously, though. Lucy's made me agree to a duet with her later, and it's going to be dreadful… Mind you, not as bad as those two. Why did they think they could do this song?" Cassie pulled a face. "Merlin knows. I tell you what though, Gryffindor or not, those Weasley twins do have a spark of genius about them…"

"Thank you! We're here 'til Easter!" Turning, Cassie found the twins and Lee Jordan leant against the wall. One twin, who she was going to assume was Fred, was looking their way, eyes merry, but Lee and George seemed to be trying to talk the Weasley Prefect into something, and he was putting up quite the argument. He slumped in defeat as the Slytherins watched, however, and George flashed a grin their way. "Come back in. You'll want to see this." They dragged Percy inside and ran for the stage just as Crabbe and Goyle were laughed off of it. Standing in a diamond formation, Lee crouched at the front, Percy at the back and the twins on the flanks, they launched into an amazing rendition of Queen's _Bohemian Rhapsody_. The Slytherins couldn't help but admire their talent… and nerve… and powers of persuasion. Percy practically threw himself back to the Gryffindor table at the end of the song, whereupon the twins slid into seats on either side of their Quidditch Captain and sank into deep discussion, possibly about a Gryffindor Quidditch Anthem. Lee was studying a piece of parchment intently.

Madam Pomfrey rushed onto the stage to announce the next category. "Pop songs next – the cheesier the better!" There was a pause as everyone racked their brains for ideas, but before anyone could volunteer, the Bloody Baron drifted through the back wall and out of the opposite end, singing _Lonely_ by Akon. It was a good start, if brief, and most out of character. Indeed, nobody had ever seen Nearly Headless Nick or the Grey Lady giggle before. Three 2nd year Ravenclaw girls – Cho, Marietta and Alice - and two 4th year Hufflepuff boys stood and made their way to the stage, waiting patiently while the microphones were transfigured into radio-mic headsets. Then the music started and everyone leapt to their feet as Steps' unmistakeable _5,6,7,8 _filled the room. The boys and girls on stage were both singing and leading the linedancing, to be replaced at the end of the song by the Weasley twins, Lee and Oliver Wood performing the _YMCA_, one letter each. The students were exhausted by the time the last chord died away, but that didn't stop some sixth-year 'Slythettes' with a keen sense of irony leaping up to celebrate their dungeon home with _Sound of the Underground_.

"Right – Well – Let's…" Madam Pomfrey paused a moment to catch her breath, having been dancing as enthusiastically as any first-year, before continuing. "Let's go onto a general free-for-all karaoke. There is a blanket ban on love songs in this section-" A lot of cheering and a few groans of dismay prevented her from continuing. "Quiet! Let me finish! There is a blanket ban on love songs in this section because there will be an opportunity especially for love songs later in the evening." The groans and cheers were reversed at this news, but nobody groaned more loudly than Theodore Nott, who appeared at Draco's side looking glum. "Come on, mate. We shouldn't have played Owl Truth-Or-Dare with Zabini last night…" Before anyone could question him, the two boys were joining their housemate and walking purposefully towards the stage. "We're Blaise, Theo and Malfoy, and we'll be singing _Thanks for the Memories_, by a Muggle group called Fallout Boy-" Nott interrupted Blaise's introduction. "-for a dare!" The other two glared at him. "You're not meant to tell them that, that's the poi-" The music started and off they went. Lucy dragged Laura towards the front, leaving Cassie to stand with Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy and Fliss. The moment the boys finished, Lucy and Laura launched into _This One's for the Girls_, a catchy number that had all the girls moving towards the front in an expression of shared witch-power. So inspiring –if not particularly tuneful- was their performance that the seventh years from Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw leapt up en masse to perform the huge comedy production they had begin work on the moment the karaoke party was announced. The Slytherin seventh years remained aloof, but consented to laugh as the Kaiser Chiefs' _Oh My God_ kicked off. "This one's going out to all the ickle firsties out there!" They were really belting it out, waking some of the first-years who had fallen asleep, and in addition to the singing they were acting out amusing little sketches and dancing around, ties tightly notted, shirts tucked in so far that they stuck out of the end of their trouser legs, and gazing around themselves in exaggerated wonder. The first years were offended at first, but eventually gave in and laughed as hard as the rest of the school as the scenes on the stage got more and more ridiculous.

Draco, Laura and Cassie walked out as the singing got louder and more raucous; after the Weasleys' rendition of _Emo Kid_ by 'Adam & Andrew' – "What kind of a band name is that?" Draco wondered - they soon ceased to be the only students in the Entrance Hall as the Love-themed music began. Too much slushy romantic stuff could really get on your nerves, especially when every student who took to the stage was making a speech dedicating their warblings to their other half. "So, Draco, how were your holidays?" He shrugged. "Not bad. Boring really though, once you'd left, Cassie. And the peacocks scatter every time I look at them now, silly creatures. How was your Christmas, Laura?" She looked away. "Not too bad. Spent some time at the Healers' when Ollie – my little brother – tried to do a Starfish-and-Stick on his toy broom. It only goes a couple of metres in the air, but he hit that tree pretty hard. He's OK though." Cassie pulled a sympathetic face. "How old is he?" "Only four, and already he seems to have a Quidditch-related death wish." Draco looked mildly impressed. Suddenly the sappy music cut out to be replaced by the sound of guitars.

When the Slytherin first-years returned to the Great Hall, it was to find the Weasley twins just finishing Click 5's _Just the Girl_, which they had been bellowing in the general direction of the Gryffindor Chasers, and leaning into the microphone. "What's the next category, Lee?" The Quidditch commentator checked the piece of parchment they'd swiped from Pomfrey's pocket earlier and shouted something back. The Weasleys grinned. "Showtunes! Our next category is showtunes, ladies, gentlemen and Slytherins. Tunes from shows. If the Gryffindor Quidditch team would like to give us a wave?" Four slightly confused looking students raised their hands as Fred summoned two Beater's bats and handed one to George, who slotted his microphone into the handle as his brother followed suit. "This one's for you." All became clear as _Nothing's Gonna Harm You _from Sweeney Todd began. As the twins ended that little number with a flourish, the team, missing only their Seeker, leapt to their feet to applaud, followed by the rest of the house. The boys refused to move from the stage and the clapping died down expectantly. "You know what, Fred?" "What?" "I think I sang that the best." His twin looked indignant. "No way! I was amazing!" "Not true. You see, anything you can do, I can do better…" Fred responded perfectly, shaking his head. "I can do anything better than you."

Three showtunes later, as they took a deep breath to begin their next piece for the thrilled crowd of students watching, the twins found themselves in a Full Body Bind. Percy, stood beside Professor McGonagall, looked smug as he put his wand away. Madame Pomfrey returned to the stage, looking highly amused. "Well, we only really have time for one more song. Something soothing would be perfect, to send us all to bed calmly." Keen singers in the audience started racking their brains for a calming song, while the rest of the students started shuffling backwards towards the main doors to the Entrance Hall. Cassie, Draco and Laura remained where they were, eager to see what the end of the night's entertainment would bring. Dumbledore's bright blue eyes swept across the hall and came to rest on their little group. "Miss Prince, I think you might have a song in mind for us?" Cassie was startled. How did he know? Nonetheless, she tentatively nodded and made her way to the stage.

"I… This is called _Glow Worms_ and it's by Vashti Bunyan, so… I hope you like it." Cursing herself for making such a bad job of the introduction, she listened to the first few bars of the tune and then began to sing softly, her voice washing over her audience like a wave of silver dreams. As her last note echoed through the vast room, she sought out Draco and Laura with her eyes. Laura was grinning at her, but Draco was simply staring into the middle distance. After a moment of complete silence, the crowd burst into a round of applause. Her friends clapped with their schoolmates, and Cassie ran back down to join them. Laura was giggling with Lucy and Fliss as they all complained that they couldn't sing and that Cassie had shown them all up. Pansy was busy talking to some older girls from their house. Draco looked at her impassively for a moment, then grinned and hugged her. "You were amazing."

--

That night, after the students were in bed, the staff New Year's party kicked off. Sprout and Flitwick were arguing about exactly how much they owed each other over a crate of Firewhiskey in the corner, getting steadily drunker and trying to increase their potential winnings by setting each other increasingly stupid and embarrassing dares. The rest of the staff were dancing or playing darts, while Professor McGonagall turned a chair into a ping-pong table and challenged Kettleburn to a match. In the corner, Snape was shuffling a deck of cards absent-mindedly. Trelawney had decided to stay in her tower, which was a relief. He wanted to play Patience, not be told that he was doomed every time he drew an ace. Unfortunately, someone just as irritating had seated himself opposite him. "Headmaster. Do you want to play cards?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Have you time for a game of Slam?" It was a loud and fast game, and Madam Pince, who Flitwick had just swept into a waltz as a dare, glared disapprovingly as if they were still in her library. Madam Pomfrey bustled past her with a tray of drinks. "Limoncello with a lemon drop for you, Headmaster. Severus? Drinking tonight?" Snape shook his head and the game continued. Eventually, after two hours and three more 'Lemon Drops', Dumbledore lost track of the game and the Potions Master. Flitwick and Sprout were now playing ping-pong and most of the rest of the staff were gathered around, placing their own bets on the two competitors. Severus, like McGonagall, put five Sickles on the Herbologist while Dumbledore joined Quirrel and Pomfrey in siding with the Charms Master. Eventually Sprout won right on the stroke of midnight, whereupon there was a champagne toast to the New Year and the winners gathered their winnings before everyone went to bed. "Oh, by the way, Severus," McGonagall said as they left the staffroom. "Thank you for the catnip."

--

Cassie leant across and poked Laura. "What?" Her friend whispered. "It's 2002," Cassie replied, "and I think my New Year's Resolution is going to be not to get into so much trouble." "That's nice," Laura murmured sleepily, "I think I'm going to think of mine in the morning. Night Cass." She rolled over and began to snore. Cassie remained awake for a few more minutes before drifting into a comfortable slumber, mumbling as she lost consciousness.

"Happy New Year, Hogwarts."


	22. Surprises

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so are Laura and Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I'm sorry that this is another late chapter; updates are likely to be slow for the foreseeable future since my computer has had various problems and currently I only have the internet in the library at college so I'm sneaking them in under cover of coursework. So please forgive me and don't forget me! Feel free to read and review!**

**This chapter is a bit technical, not to mention very teacher-based… Sorry. I got interested and went off on a tangent. It won't happen again (maybe)!**

"Ohh, my head… You're up bright and early, lass. What were you wanting?" Ross had uncurled himself from the stone wall of his post and was prodding Caleb awake as he spoke to Cassie. His companion was less sociable. "Don't you know there are no classes until one o'clock this afternoon?" She nodded, taking a step backwards. "Don't mind him, lassie. We just both had a few celebratory drinks last night and now we're like bears with sore heads. Don't you ever get drunk – it's not worth it in the morning. Sorry, what did ye want again?" Ross grimaced encouragingly at her. "I was hoping to make an appointment with Professor Dumbledore today." Caleb froze solid for a few moments before answering. "He's just taking a headache potion, then he can see you right away if you like. He gave me one, too. Ross, you should go up and get one." They leapt out of the way for her to pass, but as she reached the top of the moving staircase, she distinctly heard Ross thank the Headmaster for something and a strange creaking noise. She knocked and was called in just in time to see the end of a long stone tail disappearing into the solid stone wall, leaving no trace of the creature it belonged to. "Was that-?" Dumbledore smiled serenely. "Yes, that was Ross. It's quite amazing, isn't it, how the gargoyles can simply pass through the stone walls of Hogwarts?" She nodded and he gestured for her to take a seat. She sat, and he joined her, regarding her with some concern. "Now, what is it you've come to see me about so early on New Year's Day?"

"It's my cousin's birthday soon, Professor, but I don't know when exactly. Mum always just mentioned it at the start of January. I was hoping you could check the records or something so I could surprise him?" Dumbledore smiled. "It's the 9th of January. I feel I should warn you, however, that the man is not known for taking well to surprises." Cassie grinned. "Duly noted. Thank you." She stood, ready to leave, before turning back to the Headmaster. "Sir… you know my cousin well. Do you have any ideas as to what he would appreciate for his birthday?"

--

January the ninth dawned crisp and clear, frost sparkling on the branches of every tree in the Forbidden Forest. It was Tuesday, so Cassie knew she had to hurry if she wanted to surprise her cousin. She washed and dressed quickly, careful not to wake the other girls, and slipped out through the common room with a package under one arm, making a beeline for the Owlery. "Mops. Mopsus!" The owl swooped down and began orbiting her head, hooting softly. "Shh! Listen, I need you to take this to Severus at breakfast this morning, OK? Have some Owl Treats in advance. I'll see you later!" She slipped back down from the tower and managed to reach the Great Hall just as the first sleepy students began to help themselves to bacon and eggs.

Half an hour later, the post arrived. Cassie quickly scanned the room, noting that Mopsus had obligingly come through the window, dropped the parcel on Snape's lap and disappeared again. Cassie waited, hoping that he would open his present there and then. She had spent all weekend in the library for this and if she was caught, she'd probably spend next week in detention for it too. She wanted to see it work.

"Cassie, what are you looking a-?" Draco stopped speaking as there was a sudden burst of laughter from the Top Table. Snape was looking at a parcel on his lap, apparently very confused, but every other teacher in the room was somehow now sparkling. It actually hurt to look at some of them. Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling as much as the rest of him as he roared with laughter, clapping his hands together with glee. Snape now seemed to be trying to suppress a smirk. "Wow. Reckon Dumbledore did that?" Laura giggled, gesturing at Flitwick, who had fallen off his chair in shock, and McGonagall, who was glaring at her own reflection in the side of a goblet as it dazzled her. "Probably," Cassie replied, clutching her sides as she noticed that Professor Kettleburn had acquired glittering phantom limbs. "He's laughing more than anyone else in the room – and – oh, Merlin, look at Mrs Norris!" The cat had leapt up onto the table, yowling at the sudden commotion, and appeared to be covered in gleaming crystals. It was a very jolly school that decamped to the classrooms, the teachers still glittering and Mrs Norris spitting at everyone who came near her.

After Charms, during which Flitwick was even chirpier than usual at the thought that a new and 'simply magnificent' charm had been cast on him, the first-years emerged into the corridors to find everyone heading the same way. Curious, they followed the crowds down to the Entrance Hall, where Filch was hissing, snarling and growling at random students and generally demanding that his cat be changed back to normal. Even the portraits on the walls were sniggering as his tirade became more and more ridiculous. "She's my cat! She can't be shiny unless I'm shiny, and I'm not, so she mustn't be! It's non-regulation! We ought to match!" Cassie slid her wand out of her sleeve and flicked it, whispering something under her breath. The students scattered, howling with laughter, before Filch realised what had happened. They matched now.

--

Arriving, breathless and giggling, at Transfiguration, Cassie rooted through her bag for some blank parchment and noticed a message from Severus.

_I've just been speaking to Albus. It was a most illuminating conversation. I'll see you in my quarters later._

_Am I in trouble?_

_Maybe._

_Will there be cake?_

_Maybe. Aren't you in class?_

Cassie gulped and pulled some more parchment from her bag, stacking it neatly on top of the charmed sheet. McGonagall-the-shiny-and-slightly-irritable-cat appeared and turned into McGonagall-the-shiny-and-slightly-irritable-professor, having them take notes almost immediately on the logistics of turning needles back into matches. Unfortunately, she forgot to explain why anyone would ever want to turn matches into needles in the first place, let alone back again. She settled into the tedium, occasionally grinning to herself when McGonagall twinkled especially brightly.

After dinner, she disappeared, telling her friends that she was going to the Owlery and then the library. If they checked one and found that she wasn't there, she could always claim that they must have just missed her while she was in the other place. She slipped down the long corridor towards Severus' rooms. To discourage students from rigging his office with Dungbombs in the future, the corridors leading to the Potions Master's chambers was kept in complete darkness at all times. Cassie crept down into the depths of the dungeons, lit wand-tip aloft. She knew she was being paranoid, but she kept feeling like somebody was following her. She glanced casually over her shoulder a couple of times, seeing nobody, but decided that it was better to err on the side of caution. "_Nox._" In pitch blackness, she felt along the walls for Severus' door and squealed. Someone had just grabbed her shoulder! She spun round to find her cousin lighting his wand and smirking at her. "That was definitely worth waiting for half an hour in the dark for. Come in."

"So, I assume that little charm was your doing?" She nodded nervously, still wondering if she was in trouble. "Professor Flitwick was very impressed. In fact, he seemed to think that not only was it very complex magic, but he'd never seen it before in his life. Where did you learn it?" She took a deep breath. "The library. I looked up some basic cosmetic spells and worked out how they were similar and how they were different to normal things like colour-changing charms and such. Then I combined them with that charm you used at Christmas, you know, the one you used to make the tree all pretty with those little stars, and then I filled that first package you opened with Zonko's Blue Scattersand, and put the charm on that, so that it was transferred to whatever it touched. The best thing about that was that unlike the green variety, Blue Scattersand's designed to avoid the person who actually opens the product, being a prank and all. Nobody wants to prank themselves, after all." Severus whistled. "So you created it yourself? That's very impressive. It would be great if you could work out that little glitch that made it only work on adults. Although why it included Mrs Norris, I can't think." His cousin looked offended, but he had no idea why. "What's wrong, Cassie?"

"That wasn't a glitch, that was intentional. I was in the library, just finishing this off, and I realised that if the whole school suddenly started sparkling, students and all, there's be complete chaos, and then somebody would probably make an effort to work out how to undo it. I didn't want to do that, and Madam Pince seems to like me, so I asked her for a favour. I asked her which book the Weasley twins had taken out most often. It turns out that they haven't taken it out in about a year, but they used to take it in turns to borrow _Pranking Your Peers (And Professors): A Student Guide_. There's a whole section on making your spells staff-specific, even including anyone the student body thinks of as staff. That's why Mrs Norris was affected. I had to get Filch separately, since he wasn't in range of the sand." Severus looked grudgingly impressed. "I'm going to have to keep an eye on you, Miss Prince. How long have you been waiting for an excuse to use that one?" She shrugged. "All week. I only made it for your birthday, to make you smile. Which reminds me, did you open your other present yet?" He grimaced. "I didn't dare." He reached for it anyway, and gingerly slid the paper off of a little wooden box.

Inside was a perfect little flower made of sugar, a lily bud. Severus reached in and touched it gently, and it opened out. Another touch and its petals folded in on themselves again, returning it to its original state. "Professor Dumbledore suggested I try the Honeydukes catalogue for your gift, and when I saw this I remembered that story you told me. It seemed like a good idea… Do you like it?" He smiled, not taking his eyes off the little flower. "It's beautiful. Thank you." She grinned and gave him a hug. "Happy birthday. I'd better get back now…"

"Are you sure you're going to leave without having any cake?" She thought about it for a split second, then sat down with a bump. "What kind of cake?"

--

By the next day, the spell had worn off of all the teachers (although in Filch's case not until lunchtime, to his obvious annoyance and disgust) and things soon returned to normal at Hogwarts. January flew by and before anyone knew it, it was almost February. On the thirtieth of January, however, the peace in the staffroom was disturbed as Professor Sprout challenged Flitwick to a drinking game. To everyone's surprise, Snape declared himself in as well, and no amount of friendly advice from the Headmaster could talk him out of it. McGonagall, amused by her colleagues' behaviour, offered to join in too, provided Madam Pomfrey could guarantee enough Hangover Potions to go around in the morning. When asked, the Healer promised an abundance of the required potions, so Professors Kettleburn, Vector, Sinistra and Quirrel, not to mention Madam Hooch, decided to join the party, with Dumbledore left to keep things in order. Eventually, after much muttering about how this was a bad idea, he found an overdue copy of _Quidditch Through the Ages_ that someone must have confiscated for some reason, and began to read. "Quidditch Through the Ages. Introduction." "That's you, Severus, you're _the_, and does Minerva get one as well, for the _in_ in 'introduction'?" Sprout seemed quite keen to get everyone very drunk, very quickly, and Severus put up no resistance as his word kept coming up, causing him to down glass after glass of Firewhiskey and whatever else they kept pulling up from the back of the cupboards.

As it turned out, there weren't enough hangover potions. Madam Pomfrey dished them out dutifully on a first-come-first-served basis, which meant that Snape, who overslept, and Hooch, who forgot, were just a little bit tetchier than usual that morning. Of course, Snape had been grumpy the previous day too, the Slytherins observed, and had more or less stayed out of their way unless he had to see them. Today was no better, and even the fact that it was Wednesday (which is nearly Thursday, which everyone knows is nearly Friday, which is more or less the weekend) couldn't make up for the fact that an irritable Snape leads to a miserable Potions class. Longbottom blew up his cauldron no less than three times just out of pure fear, which didn't help matters at all, and had to have it repaired by Granger. Meanwhile, their Professor had demanded that they work in complete silence so that he could concentrate on the potion he was brewing at his desk. Apart from the occasional explosion and exasperated whisper of 'Reparo - Come _on_, Neville!" the peace and quiet was absolute bliss for the Potions Master's pounding head.

At least, it was bliss to start with. After a few minutes, though, as his potion finally neared completion, Severus watched it simmer and realised that he could hear himself think. Normally, this would be bearable, but today his brain seemed to be trying to make up for all the thoughts that he had quite literally drowned out the night before. Suddenly, he felt an overwhelming urge to mark his second years' essays and reorganise the supply cupboard; anything to stop the thoughts from crawling back into his aching brain. Of course, he couldn't leave his potion – or Longbottom – unattended, so the second year essays won out.

That night, in his chambers, he resumed his activity of the previous day: sitting by the fire watching his sugar-lily open and close in its box, observing how such beautiful things were always so fragile. He threw a handful of Floo powder into the fire and leant forward slightly, so that his voice carried through the flames. "Albus. I'll referee the next Gryffindor Quidditch match if Rolanda doesn't mind."


	23. Snitch II

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so are Laura and Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Sorry if any of the dates don't match up, by the way – I don't actually have the relevant calendar in front of me. Besides, JKR's timeline isn't always entirely accurate, so I feel justified in taking the same liberty.**

**Brownie points for anyone who can tell me (in a review, which you will of course all be leaving) the significance of the main date in this chapter!**

Madam Pince shook her head and glared across at the desk in the corner of the library. Gathered around said desk, parchment illuminated by the bright sunshine of a late March afternoon, were Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, Zabini, and the two Slytherin girls behind their sudden desire to do homework. All were whispering loudly. "Come on, guys, the sooner it's finished, the sooner we can forget about it." Laura assured them. The response was a groan. Draco set his quill down. "Or we could do it later and forget about it until then." Cassie picked his quill up for him and poked him with it. "Were you planning on going to the match or not?" Never one to miss an opportunity of mocking the Gryffindors, Draco returned to his homework.

They had spent two hours in the library – with a break for dinner – by the time Nott finally declared his work finished. He and Zabini headed off back to the common room, and the others watched them go enviously. "Why don't you guys go back, too? I'll make sure these two finish," Draco offered, gesturing at Crabbe and Goyle, who were still laboriously writing the last foot of their Transfiguration essay. "No point all of us wasting our lives." Somewhat suspiciously, Laura and Cassie started to leave, but decided against it, doubling back to another section of the library to read. Half an hour later the boys made for the door, looking pleased with themselves.

The girls checked their books out and went to catch up, but found their friends embroiled in an argument with Neville Longbottom. Before they could stop him, Draco had cast a Leg-Locker Jinx and smugly wandered off towards the dungeons, trailed by his goons. Cassie was about to go and help Longbottom when Laura grabbed her arm and dragged her after the other Slytherins. "We'd better get back to the common room before they think we were spying on them." They disappeared through a shortcut behind a tapestry and made it back to their House just before the boys.

"You should have seen his face, Blaise, it was hilarious. And I bet he had to hop all the way back up to Gryffindor tower…" Blaise chuckled. "Surely he could have gone to McGonagall, on the second floor?" Laura pointed out, but Draco just waved her off. "Nah, he's not that bright. Besides, he wouldn't want to tell McGonagall he got wiped the floor with." The Slytherins guffawed, with one exception. "I don't know, I think it's a bit harsh to just go around hexing people." Draco, Theo and Crabbe looked at her incredulously. "It was _Longbottom_, Cassie. He's so thick, he's probably not even upset." Cassie shrugged. "Well, I'm going to bed. Night." She disappeared down into the dorms, leaving her friends nonplussed.

--

The day of the match between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor dawned bright and clear. The Slytherins who were going to the match rose early and trooped down to the pitch with the more lark-like of the Ravenclaws, scrambling to get the central seats for their small groups before the seas of red and yellow appeared. To the girls' surprise, Draco, Vincent and Gregory did not take their front seats as usual, but headed up the stands and disappeared behind a large Gryffindor banner, no doubt hoping to deface it in some way. This match was important; the outcome of this game would affect the entire Quidditch Cup, and Slytherin's chances along with it. Cassie and Laura settled with Pansy, Blaise and Theo in their usual positions, ready to watch the game.

As the players emerged onto the pitch, a murmur swept through the crowd. "Did any of you know Snape was refereeing this?" Cassie shook her head. "I wonder if Madam Hooch is sick or something." She just hoped that nobody would decide injuring the referee was a good strategy. _Wait, it's the ever-honourable Gryffindors against __Hufflepuff__, for Merlin's sake. Why am I even worried?_ The match was a short one, packed with action, but it seemed Draco had found something better to occupy his time. "Nice black eye there, Malfoy," Blaise chuckled as they all headed back to the castle, somewhat disappointed by the Gryffindor win. "You should see the other guy," the blond muttered. "Crabbe and Goyle are just being given detentions for knocking out Longbottom, by the way. They'll catch up. I only got a disciplinary essay. _I should not taunt and physically assault the Gryffindors because…_" Theo jumped in. "Because they're too stupid to fight back, and it's not fair?" Pansy cackled. "Since when do Slytherins play fair?"

--

Severus was in a bad mood. If only Potter had been a little slower in catching the Snitch, he could have given a lot more unnecessary penalties to Hufflepuff – who, let's face it, needed all the help they could get – and sabotaged the Gryffindors' chances very nicely. That would have really improved his day. It was the 27th of March, a traditional day of resentment on the Snape calendar ever since his schooldays. Upsetting Harry Potter would have made today an exception to the rule, but no – he had been foiled by the Quidditch talent of an eleven year-old boy and his world was dark. It being Saturday, he could not even take it out on his classes; he resorted instead to skulking around the castle, docking points for crooked ties, loud breathing and excessive walking/sitting/standing still.

--

As the days grew warmer, Draco, Cassie and Laura took to walking around the grounds together whenever they had time. One evening, about three weeks after the Quidditch match, the girls decided to stay in the common room to finish their homework. Draco, remarkably, had either already done it or, Cassie suspected, paid someone to do it for him, and so he headed off to the grounds alone. He returned in a state of surprised excitement, but refused to tell anyone what about. After a few days, he gave up, and burst into the library to whisper to his best friends. "Hagrid's got a dragon!"

Laura looked up in surprise, shooting him a questioning look, but Cassie simply turned a page and continued to read. "Did you hear me? That oaf, Hagrid, is keeping a baby dragon in his little hovel!" Without taking her eyes off the page, Cassie raised an eyebrow and whispered back in an exaggeratedly conspiratorial manner. "Wow, Malfoy, his chimney's only been spitting fire for a week. Duh."

Put out, Draco disappeared again. Laura went after him to quiz him about the dragon, and Cassie reluctantly left her book and followed to try to smooth things over.

--

A few days later, the dragon was the main topic of conversation again. "Weasley's been bitten by a dog, apparently. A dog? Yeah, right. I'm going to go and pay him a friendly visit in the hospital wing. Want to come?" They leapt up. Cassie had nothing against Weasley, but things had been quite boring lately and she figured she had better keep an eye on Draco. Besides, it was always amusing to try out her latest witty insults on someone who genuinely did seem to be a bit of an idiot.

"Weasel!" Draco strolled into the Hospital Wing as if greeting an old friend. "How are you doing? Ooh, that must have been some dog. Don't you think so, girls?" Laura nodded. "Yeah, dog bites. What a _drag_." Cassie suddenly noticed a book, a piece of paper shoved into the middle to mark a place, on Weasley's bedside cabinet. "You're reading _Facts, Fiction, Fables_? I've heard a lot about that book, but it hardly strikes me as your cup of tea." Remembering where she was and who she was talking to, she quickly added a sneer. "Girlfriend give it to you?" The boy flushed red to the tips of his ears. "Hermione is not my girlfriend, but she did tell me to read it while I was stuck up here. It's a library book, you can take it back if you like. Since you seem to care so much about me." He was clearly trying to turn the situation to his advantage and score a point against the Slytherins, but Draco sauntered across and picked up the book. "Sure. We'll take it back, and on the way we'll tell Granger how much you clearly appreciate it." Before Weasley could respond, they were gone and down the stairs.

Back in the common room, Draco sighed. "I suppose we'll actually have to take it back now. Still, maybe there _is_ some way to upset Granger with it. Let's see how far the moron got with it, anyway." He flicked the book open to the place the paper was keeping. "Page 26? Pathetic. Ooh, what's this? Love letter from Granger? _Dear Ron, blah blah blah, we'll take the dragon, blah blah blah, Astronomy Tower at…_ Oh. That _is_ interesting. Even though it's from his brother. Take a look." The girls scanned the letter guiltily, finding that it contained details of a plan to smuggle Hagrid's dragon away to Romania in the dead of night. "Draco, promise me you won't go and get yourself caught out after curfew trying to follow them." Cassie warned him, but he just grinned at her, handing her the book. "I promise I won't," Satisfied, she headed off toward the library to return the book and check it back out again, glad that her friend seemed to have given up on embarrassing Weasley with it. "…get caught." He added, as she left the room.

--

Of course, he got caught, along with Longbottom, Potter and Granger, and all four were given detention in the Forbidden Forest. Cassie, furious that he had broken his promise, refused to speak to him until he had served his punishment. If he hadn't been so anxious to regain her friendship, he probably wouldn't have bothered attending the detention at all.


	24. Returning

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so are Laura and Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and everyone who's added this story to alert! Sorry for the HUGE delay in posting this chapter; I'm blaming a lethal combination of Real Life and writer's block. I'll try to get the next one up a lot sooner! There are only about three or four chapters left in this story; please drop me a review to let me know if you're still reading and if you want me to continue the series. Thanks for being so patient, everyone!**

_Chapter Nine; Muggle Inventions_

_There has always been widespread speculation among the wizarding community about the technology of Muggles. The question on everybody's lips is, "What will these Muggles think of next?" This chapter will focus on exploding the myths and exploring the murky truth about so-called 'Muggle magic', for while there _is_ indeed a device known as a microwave oven and there does appear to have been a successful landing on the moon using a machine called a rocket, instant teleportation devices (often described in fictional works as resembling large Portkeys) remain a far-off dream for Muggles and 'hyperdrive' and 'warp speed' feature only in Muggle fiction and motion pictures._

Cassie marked her place (page 78, she noted with some satisfaction) and lowered the book as Draco came into the common room, a long scratch bleeding on his face. "Are you alright?" He gave her a withering look. "I went to detention. It was the most pointless thing I have ever done in my entire life. I was nearly killed by what looked like a less depressing version of a Dementor, and I got scratched by a tree. So yes, I'm fine and I've had a wonderful evening." Cassie got up and carefully ran her hand along the cut. "Good. Then I can talk to you again. And help you clean this up." He made a sulky, grunt-like noise most unbefitting a Malfoy. "Well, at least people are talking to you. Unlike Potter."

--

"Harry and his friends have returned from their detention, Minerva." The Deputy Headmistress turned towards the fireplace as Dumbledore stepped out of it. "I just saw them crossing the grounds, and Hagrid should be up to report in a few minutes. It seems young Mr Malfoy decided to leave a little ahead of the group, and rather fast, it must be said. There may have been some sort of trouble, I fear. Still, all safe, which is the important thing, isn't it?" Minerva huffed. "Most of my Gryffindors aren't even talking to Mr Potter or his friends at the moment and I can't say I blame them. Without wishing to sound like Severus, that little stunt really does make me wonder if Harry is going to be just as much trouble as James and his friends were." Professor Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "He was _out of bed after hours_, Minerva. It may be against the rules, but lots of students do it and it's hardly the worst possible offence in the school-" "He was out of bed after hours smuggling a _dragon_, Headmaster, and he's being a bad influence on both Miss Granger and Mr Longbottom, and don't try to tell me the dragon was a story of Mr Malfoy's, I overheard you talking to Hagrid the other day!" The Headmaster was quick to respond to her accusations. "Then you will be aware that Harry and his friends were acting in defence of Hagrid, who they all consider a friend. If I remember rightly, you actually awarded Gryffindor five points for taking on a troll for the very same reasons, and now you've docked them a hundred and fifty? Do you want Gryffindor to win the House Cup or not?" McGonagall was speechless, for once. Dumbledore said goodnight to his deputy and stepped back into the Floo network.

--

Draco first noticed that Cassie wasn't quite herself when, later that night, she got up and vacantly headed downstairs. "Cassie, those are the boys' dorms." Cassie nodded blankly and drifted down the other staircase instead. Laura caught his eye and shrugged.

By the next evening, Cassandra's friends were really concerned. Cassie had climbed out of bed early in the morning, dressed in a daze, and wandered between classes and meals in a daze before finally returning to the common room and going straight downstairs to bed. The next morning she seemed all set to repeat the pattern, but Draco and Laura weren't having any of it. Laura was out of bed the second Cassie was, and followed her down to the deserted common room and out into the corridor. "Happy April the 23rd, Cassie!" Cassie raised an eyebrow. "What's so special about today for you? It's not your birthday, is it?" She looked worried, and Laura hurried to reassure her. "No, today's nothing special. It's just you've seemed a little down, and Draco and I are worried about you. So we thought we'd try to cheer you up." Cassie stared at her for a moment, then nodded and continued walking. She didn't seem any happier.

Between Draco declaring the 25th of April the new 'unofficial Hogwarts April Fool's day' and trying to drag his friends into planning great new tricks to play on the unsuspecting student population, Laura tailing her everywhere and Lee Jordan collaring her to deliver an official declaration of prank-war from the Weasley twins and their associates to Draco and his, it was lunchtime before Cassie could get a moment to herself. Gaining this opportunity meant going to the toilets, waiting until Laura was inside a cubicle and running off through various secret passageways until she reached the Astronomy Tower. Halfway up, she knocked on Professor Sinistra's office door and stuck her head around it. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Professor, but would you mind if I went and sat up at the top for a bit? I just need to clear my head a little." The professor smiled and cheerfully gave her permission; there were many students who found the Astronomy Tower a perfect hideaway from their peers and professors alike, and provided they let her know they were up there and as long as they were sensible, they were always welcome to use it. "Just be careful, Miss Prince, and be back by the end of lunch or I'll send up a search party."

Watching the clouds drift across the sky, Cassie leant on the outer wall of the tower. The clouds were reflected in the lake when she looked down; it was a beautiful day. Closing her eyes, she let herself relax, her slightly dazed expression slipping into a perfect mask of sorrow. Draco and Laura couldn't possibly understand; they were trying to make her feel better, but all she wanted was to be alone, and sad, just for one day. She had managed to pass the date of her mother's death with minimal betrayal of emotions, like a true snake, but now it had been exactly a year since the funeral and it was just too much to bear. A tear slid down her cheek, and more soon followed.

--

Draco was the first Slytherin to step onto the parapet in search of Cassie. She did not notice his presence until he was right behind her; as he gently touched her elbow to get her attention, he had to bring his other arm across and grab her to stop her from falling off the edge to her death. "Merlin, Cassie! Be careful, will you?" She refused to look at him, staring fixedly down at the grounds. He squeezed her shoulder insistently and she turned. "What are you doing up here, Draco?" He sighed. "Looking for you, silly. Why did you have to disappear to a place with so many stairs?" It was her turn to look resigned. "Because I didn't want to be followed. I just need some time to myself, OK? It's… It's to do with my Mum." She turned back to look out over the Forest, waiting for a scathing remark. It never came; instead, a pair of arms wrapped itself awkwardly around her middle and squeezed. "I'm sorry. I'll leave you to it." The arms released her and she felt her friend move away. She half-turned, just in time to see Laura appear in the doorway of the tower and Draco chivvy her back downstairs. She turned back to the edge of the tower, resting her elbows on the wall.

Draco, meanwhile, had fobbed Laura off with some excuse about Cassie attempting to conquer her fear of heights in the hope that it would make her a better flier, and had hurriedly gone back to planning pranks with the Slytherin team; considerable interest had been sparked by the Weasley twins' challenge and now most of the first year were involved in the 'Battle of Buffoonery'. All too soon, it was time to go to lessons. Cassie, however, had not yet returned from the tower.

--

The young Prince was in the girls' bathroom on the second floor – the one bathroom where only ghosts wandered, and most of those reluctantly – wiping her eyes and trying to make herself presentable. Before she knew it, the school fell silent beyond the toilet doors, and she realised that afternoon lessons had begun. She would be late for Potions no matter how fast she ran, but she hurried to the dungeons all the same. Snape was wearing even more black than usual today, and Cassandra wasn't immediately able to pick him out from the surrounding darkness; he swooped down from a corner behind his desk and reprimanded her for being late, docking Slytherin 10 points.

It was the beginning of a frustrating lesson; Draco ended up doing most of the work on their potion while Cassie rearranged ingredients on the desk and flicked back and forth through the pages of her potions textbook. Snape eventually caught on to this and glared at them both, but was distracted by his least favourite Gryffindors. At the end of the lesson, Laura joined them by the door and they all left together. As Cassie rummaged in her bag for parchment and quill to jot down prank ideas, however, she caught sight of another piece of parchment, words glittering in new ink. _See me in my office after dinner._

--

She knocked on the door more timidly than usual. "Enter." She did, to find her cousin sitting casually on the edge of his desk. "You were late to my lesson." It wasn't a question, but he seemed to be waiting for a response. "Only two minutes, and I apologised, and you've already taken away points." He raised an eyebrow. "Yes. What I wanted to know was why you were late in the first place. It's unusual for you." She focused uncomfortably on her shoes as she murmured, "It's been a year." Severus nodded. "Ah. I thought that might be the problem, especially since you handled… March… so well." She looked up at him then, anger blazing up. "You _knew_? And you still had a go at me for being late? Not a word of encouragement or comfort? You're the only family I have in the world, but _Draco Malfoy_ was nicer to me today, and you know as well as I do the Malfoy reputation for coldness!" Severus met her eye with one raised eyebrow. "Yes, I do… He's always been kind to you, though. He's your friend; should he not look after you?" She wouldn't let him distract her from her fury. "Yes, but so should my family! Would it really be so hard for you to just make a few allowances?"

Severus adopted what he clearly hoped was a calming tone of voice. "Cassie, you know that while we are at school and in the public eye, we have to stay professional-" "But I'm not a professional! I'm twelve years old, and… I want my mum!" She burst into tears, to her shame, and waited for him to tell her to grow up and act more like the Slytherin she was. The reprimand never came; instead, he put his arms around her in a hug. He seemed awkward, out of practice, but still she drew comfort from the human contact. "I know it's hard. But we have to try to go on. Your mother wouldn't want your whole world to stop because she's gone." She sniffled a little more before replying. "I know." She dried her eyes, and after a moment's pause, flashed her cousin a watery smile. "Severus… what can you tell me about the Weasley twins?" He frowned. "Are you asking because of the upcoming merry war of pranks Mr Malfoy is planning?" She looked up at him, the picture of wide-eyed innocence. "No idea what you're talking about, Sev. But if they _were_ going to prank someone… any idea what they'd do? Or how to top it?" He gestured to a chair; this was going to be a very long conversation.


	25. Snakes and Lions

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so are Laura and Kenya! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: I'm sorry guys. There are a number of reasons I could give for not getting this done sooner – moving to another country being one of them – but the truth is, the Weasley twins have a mischievous flash of genius about them. I do not. As such, this was really hard to write! There are only a few chapters left to go, now, so I will hopefully become slightly more regular with my updates before I start on the sequel. I'm afraid that this year my academic work is going to have to come first, though!**

April 25th started, predictably, with a squeal. Pansy Parkinson had been the first to leave the common room, returning seconds later covered in red paint – or so it seemed at first. However, on closer inspection the Slytherins found that it was in fact a Marvin's Magical Mayhem product – or, as Draco pointed out, "More likely to be a cheap imitation – these are the Weasleys we're talking about" – which caused Pansy's robes to turn slowly crimson, with large gold letters spelling out 'Weasleys = Winners' on the back. By the time this had been discovered, Pansy's hair was also red and Felicity had got so much of the stuff on her hands that her robes slowly began turning scarlet as well. Blaise reluctantly drew up a scoreboard on the blackboard on the wall and put one tally in the 'Lions' column. "One point to the Weasleys." Pansy was wailing about her hair. "But it's ruined!" Laura rushed to reassure her. "My brothers love the Marvin range, they get something from it every time they get a chance to go to Zonko's. Don't worry, it'll wear off." Draco nodded. "And until then, it's war."

The Weasley twins were smart, the Slytherins had to admit. They'd steadfastly ignored several of the snakes' strategies, wearing shoes that hadn't been filled with custard in the night (three house-elves had had to be threatened with clothes to achieve this feat) and making Finnegan, of Gryffindor, taste their drinks before they drank. He radiated some kind of static energy for the next couple of hours, causing almost every spell he tried to end in an explosion – not that anyone noticed the difference. On one front, however, the twins were not prepared. Their elder brother, Percy, was a Prefect and, as such, tried to be as fair as possible to those of all Houses. It was the work of seconds for Laura to convince him that she'd found a text book they'd left behind in one of their classes. "Oh, they're always doing that," he told her, pompously. "Which one does it belong to?" Laura shrugged. "It just says 'Gred Weasley' in the inside cover..." She handed over a book-shaped package wrapped in brown paper, which Percy was only too happy to deliver as Laura scurried back towards her friends.

Fred and George did look faintly perplexed, neither having noticed the absence of a book, but as both Percy and Hermione pointed out, they wouldn't have noticed if all of their books were ceremoniously carried to the front of the Great Hall and set on fire in front of their eyes. "No, we'd be too busy toasting marshmal-" Cassie couldn't tell which twin was speaking, but he was abruptly cut off as, when he pulled the string, a large quantity of small gnomes leapt out and made a bid for freedom. Unfortunately for the twins, they were in the way. Watching the shrunken gnomes wreak havoc at the Gryffindor table, Cassie was distracted by Hagrid booming at everyone not to hurt the 'poor critters'. The Slytherins chose this moment to finish their toast and leave.

Unfortunately, it seemed the snakes were not the only students capable of colluding with the house-elves. While Pansy and Lucille had simply waited in the dorms for one to appear, the Weasleys had gone down to the kitchen and insisted on helping to prepare the Slytherins' breakfasts. By the time they reached the common room, every single green-clad student had bright yellow feathers for eyebrows. The sixth and seventh years sorted themselves out very quickly and helped the younger students – but they all agreed that the first-years had brought it upon themselves. Accordingly, the first-years were forced to troop upstairs, having added a point to each side of the scoreboard, and face first McGonagall, who was clearly struggling to hold back a smile, and then Flitwick, who merely raised an eyebrow, chuckled, and told them that they were "brave to challenge the Weasleys, but perhaps unwise". Attempting to enlist the Professors' help in lifting the spell proved fruitless, but the Slytherins were a little gratified when, half way through their Charms class, McGonagall's third-years had to evacuate their classroom to escape a mysterious gas that made everybody sing. Through his laughter, as they listened to the musical class rushing down the stairs to the grounds, Draco leant over and high-fived Cassie. "Nice job on the time delay, there, princess." She scowled at him. "Don't call me princess!" Laura, on her other side, offered her a high-five too and she relented. "But thanks. It worked out well, didn't it?" Unfortunately, the Weasley twins chose that moment to bounce past the door singing "We got out of lessons!" loudly and cheerfully. The snakes slumped in their chairs, trying to work out some way of winning this campaign of tomfoolery. On the plus side, Professor Flitwick suddenly seemed to change his mind about sorting out their eyebrows.

The end, when it came, was sudden and final. When the Slytherins sat down for dinner, it was with some apprehension. The older students merely sat and watched until the first-years began to eat, tentatively tasting tiny nibbles of food. However, on this occasion they seemed to be in luck; the food had no untoward side-effects and soon the entire house was tucking in cheerfully, the first-years still trying to decide how to win the contest. "The Weasleys haven't done half as much as I'd expected them to," Laura grinned, "so we've just got to hit them with one more good prank." The twins from Gryffindor seemed to be keen to return to their common room before such a prank occurred, walking past the Slytherin table on their way out of the hall. There was a smashing sound as the jar of bluebell-flame Hermione had conjured at Fred's request because "our dormitory is cold, why else?" hit the ground and spread to form a horseshoe shape, cutting off the Slytherins from the other students and the teachers, but not from the door, where they could see Fred and George disappearing behind a suit of armour. The teachers hurried to restore order among the other three houses as the Slytherin seventh-years elegantly rose and filed out of the hall in a dignified manner, followed by the sixth-years, the fifth-years and the fourth-years. The second- and third-years also left, looking slightly more worried despite their best efforts. The first-years, however, did not move as the teachers doused the flames, shooting jets of water which drenched both the students and the table they were sat at. The twins returned and slipped back to the Gryffindor table amidst the confusion, sniggering at the Slytherins who were clearly attempting to stand.

"Cassie, can you move?" Laura whispered to her friend as she tried to wriggle discreetly out of her seat. "I can move, I just can't seem to get off of the bench…" Draco hissed at them angrily. "Then sit still! This is clearly the Weasleys' doing – we can't let them see they've got us." The other first years nodded and turned to conversations among themselves, making no further attempt to leave the table. Their efforts at seeming unaffected were going well until Lee Jordan, approaching the Professors' table to check the times of the next Quidditch match with Madam Hooch, waved his wand behind his back and muttered something the teachers didn't catch. A cloud of smoke billowed from his wand and drifted to the Slytherin table, settling like heavy fog around them. Dean Thomas apparently couldn't resist shouting "Oi, Lee, if you're going to let one rip could you at least be a bit less obvious?", but that was the least of the Slytherins' concerns as they all drifted off to sleep.

When Cassie woke, it was to find herself regarding clear blue sky above her head. Blinking, she realised that she was in fact in the Great Hall, and the rest of the first year also appeared to be returning from the land of slumber around her. She looked along the table to see that the staff had not yet taken their seats and the elder Slytherins were nowhere in sight. Then she caught sight of herself in a particularly well-polished goblet. She took another look at her companions, reeling with shock as she realised that they had all been drawn on in their sleep. They rushed as one to the bathrooms, only to find that the doodles and messages from the Gryffindors could not be shifted. Outside the doors, they could hear cheering and a rising chant of 'The Weasleys are the winners! The Weasleys are the winners!'

They couldn't really argue with that.


	26. Testing Times

**Disclaimer: Just like anyone else on the site, I don't own Harry Potter. **

**The character of Cassie is mine, though, and so are Laura, Kenya and Beryl! I also claim full credit/blame for the writing and elements of the plot.**

**A/N: Many, many apologies, everyone, for the REALLY long wait between chapters. I know, it's unforgivable. Feel free to send Howlers. I've just been really busy and also – it's really hard to write present-giving occasions. I've no idea how I'm going to top this next year, either. Anyway, here's the last chapter of Little Bat from the Dungeons (volume one!). I hope you enjoy it and, since it's the last chapter, I'd love some reviews.**

**Testing Times**

_Twice a year, for the next several years, I will be faced with the ultimate question,_ Cassie mused as she flicked absent-mindedly through a third-year textbook in the library. _What do you get for the Slytherin who has everything?_ She was supposed to be revising Herbology, but she was struggling to get her head around the idea that Venomous Tentacula could be trained not to bite by refusing them food, while other plants would simply die, and had turned to a higher level text for a more detailed explanation. Curiosity satisfied, however, her mind had turned to a more practical problem. The end-of-year exams were to start in two weeks' time, but the day after their last exam was Draco's birthday. _Merlin knows what I'm going to get him. I only know when his birthday _is _because he's listed in 'Who's Who in the Wizarding World', or I'd have even less notice. _At that moment, she became aware of someone standing behind her. Spinning round, she found herself face-to-face with the very boy she'd been thinking about. "Problem, Malfoy?" He looked surprised at her imitation of his usual superior drawl, but quickly recovered. "It's my birthday in three weeks. I expect we'll have some sort of gathering at the Manor after term ends." He threw himself into the seat next to hers. "Coming?"

After a fifteen-minute argument about whether or not Draco had any idea of the proper way to invite someone to a party – a bit of light-hearted banter that took them all the way back to the dungeons – Cassie agreed to ask her cousin's permission to attend. However, she still had no idea what to buy her friend… Perhaps that was the answer. Draco was continually showered with all the things money could buy – so perhaps she should try to find something money _couldn't _buy for him. For now, though, it was time to get to grips with the theory behind the Transfigurations she'd been performing all year.

--

_Anybody there?_

_Fortunately, just me. Can I help you with something? How did your first couple of exams go?_

_I think Herbology went alright. As for Potions, your guess is much better than mine. Whose cauldron was it that was hissing?_

_Nott's. It looks like he didn't clean it properly before the exam._

_Oops. Is that going to cost him marks?_

_Not many, no. So, did you just want to discuss hissing cauldrons, or…?_

_Oh. No… I was wondering if you could help me to think of something I can give Draco for his birthday – it's coming up soon and, well… you know he has almost everything he could want._

_Well… do you have any ideas to start from?_

_Nothing specific, but I thought that since his parents more or less buy him everything he shows a passing interest in – and you know that's true – I should try to get him something money can't buy instead._

_Yes, that sounds like a very sensible plan. I'll talk to you about it tomorrow, when I've got the second- and third-year exams out of the way. Now, it's time for dinner. Off you go!_

_Yes, sir! No arguments here._

_I thought not._

--

Severus wandered along his bookshelves, looking for a volume that might help him. _The ultimate challenge,_ he mused to himself. _Not a potion or a charm, but satisfying the wishes of an eleven-year-old boy._ He couldn't think of anything that he or Cassie could give Draco that Lucius couldn't. None of the potions in his books suited… His cousin's knock on the door sent him rushing back to his seat, where he attempted to look casual as he called her in.

"No ideas, then." Cassie had taken one look at his face and read him like the very books he had just been staring at. "I'm afraid not. The problem is, I don't know what Draco would like for his birthday. Do you…?" She thought hard for a second. "There's nothing I can get him that his father couldn't - oh! Wait!" Indeed, he had to wait, as she had leapt from her chair and run off somewhere.

A few minutes later, she was back, with a dog-eared little book in hand. She handed it over, look excited and very pleased with herself. He glanced at the title, embossed in gold on the front; _ADDRESSES_. "It was my mother's. She knew all sorts of people – she never saw them much and she wasn't really close to anyone…" She stopped to compose herself for a second. "…But some of the people in here are quite famous in their fields" Severus raised an eyebrow. "So you want to introduce Draco to one or more of these celebrities?"

She shook her head, laughing. "Oh, no – think of the havoc he could wreak! There was one, though, who I thought… well, perhaps we could get him something no other kid will have for a few months." At a raised eyebrow from her cousin, she continued, "Turn to 'N'. You'll see her, straight away." He obeyed, and sure enough, his eye was immediately drawn to one name. _Beryl Nimra._

"Aunt Meredith knew Buzz Nimra? _The _Buzz Nimra?" Cassie nodded. "She was like an aunt to me, growing up – no offence to your mum, of course – and she even came to the funeral, but undercover. The attention wouldn't have been right for the occasion." Severus gaped at it uncharacteristically for a moment. "This could be good…" That was when Cassie passed across the piece of parchment she'd also brought from the dorms.

--

June the 5th dawned warm, clear and bright – just as Cassie had hoped. Glancing out of the enchanted window in her dorm, she wasted no time in getting dressed and rushing to check in with Severus in his office. "She's still coming?" Severus nodded at her. "She's coming, and I spoke to Dumbledore, and all the strings have been pulled that you asked me to pull here at Hogwarts, and nobody needs to know I had any part in it, so yes, Cassie, everything is fine. Go to breakfast!"

Now that exams were over, there were no classes to worry about for the first years, and the majority decamped to the lawns to enjoy the sun. As the Slytherin first-years dragged themselves out of bed, Cassie could barely contain her excitement, and at ten o'clock she finally lost patience and dragged Laura and Draco out to the Quidditch pitch, toast and all. "But why the Quidditch pitch, of all places?" Laura complained as they made their way across the grounds. "The stands are perfect for sunbathing in." Cassie replied distractedly, ignoring Draco's mutterings about his 'fair complexion' until, as they passed through the gates and into the stands, she shut him up by calling him a girl. "Hey, it's my birthday, don't be mean!"

At this, Laura pulled an expression of mock surprise. "Oh no, I forgot it was your birthday!" She immediately proved herself to be lying, however, by pulling out a small, brightly-wrapped package and handing it to him. "It's not much, but I hope you like it." Draco grinned and ripped off the wrapping paper to reveal a Pet Wrock. The packaging described it as '_The pet for people who can't have pets. It needs no food or water, just leave it on a windowsill and it'll live forever. It may seem like an ordinary pebble, but just tap it three times with the wrong end of a wand-' _Draco was one of those people who did things as he read about them, and tapped the Wrock three times. Sure enough, the innocuous-looking thing sprouted legs and eyes and grinned up at them all before scurrying onto Draco's hand and up his arm, finally perching on his shoulder. "It's great, Laura. My parents won't let me have pets, they say they'd mess the Manor up. Thank you." He leant across to give her an awkward hug – Slytherins they may be, but nobody was watching – and then turned to Cassie expectantly. "You didn't forget, right?"

She looked at the floor and his face fell. "Never mind; you've been busy with exams and everything…" That was when the broom plummeted out of the sky.

--

Wind whistling through her hair, Beryl 'Buzz' Nimra couldn't help but remember the old days of playing on this pitch as a girl. She was so lost in thought that she almost forgot to allow for the extra baggage strapped underneath her broom and had to pull up in a hurry to avoid crushing it into the ground. Pulling up into a loop, she performed a couple of aerobatic tricks just to reassure herself that she was still the woman who had captained the Holyhead Harpies for three years and played Quidditch for England before retiring and founding her own successful business. Touching down, she caught sight of three students gawping from the stands. _Not very Slytherin expressions,_ she chuckled to herself before waving. "Draco Malfoy?"

The three first-years slowly made their way onto the pitch, Cassie beaming, Laura puzzled and Draco… well, Draco wasn't sure whether to be amazed or terrified that _Buzz Nimra_ had just called his name. "That's… that's me." He drew himself up to his full height – not much, but never mind – and tried to continue in a dignified manner befitting a Malfoy. Unfortunately, what came out was a rather high-pitched "You're Buzz Nimra!" She laughed. "Am I, now? Thanks for reminding me, Mr Malfoy; I'm never quite sure who I am, right after a dive like that. Anyway, your friend Cassie asked me to help her out. I understand it's your birthday?" He nodded. "I've got something for you."

--

**A few days earlier…**

Severus scanned the piece of parchment in his hands.

_Dear Cassie,_

_I hope all is well at Hogwarts and that you haven't trashed our old common room too badly yet. Work is going very well, thank you – the new broom is almost ready to fly, and has now passed all the safety checks. As usual, the first 500 off the production line will have a limited-edition motif on the front of the handle. Even the richest people in the world have to run if they want one of those. I hear you haven't particularly taken to flying, but if you'd like one I'm happy to keep one for you._

_Good luck with your exams – not that you'll need it – and I'll write again soon._

_Love,_

_Beryl._

Cassie saw the look in his eyes and grinned. "I'll write back now then, shall I?"

--

**June 5****th****, 11.05 am**

Draco couldn't believe it. Buzz Nimra, _legendary_ Quidditch star, had just handed him a brand-new broomstick. "Now, you kids are going to have to keep this quiet, because this won't be released until mid-July. She's called a Nimbus 2001, and she's limited edition – see the dragon on the front?" He nodded mutely, still staring between the broom and Buzz. "Isn't she a beauty? I know first-years aren't allowed, but… well, Cassie's checked with the Headmaster and since that unfortunate Potter kid's got one, he couldn't really refuse. Are you going to take her up?" Draco turned to Cassie and grinned. "Thanks, Cass." Beryl was back on her broom by this point. "Coming?"

The girls were way behind on a couple of old Shooting Stars, but Beryl and Draco were fairly dancing around the pitch. Draco couldn't believe he was flying with Buzz, or how _fast _they were going. It felt like… well, like flying at its best. After a couple of hours, though, Buzz headed for the ground and Draco had no choice but to follow. Once there, with the girls, she handed Draco a leaflet explaining the stats of the broom – "Oh great," muttered Laura, "Now we'll never hear the end of it," – and signed a photo of herself, at Draco's request. With a hug for Cassie and a wave for the others, she disappeared back into the sky, leaving three rather starstruck Slytherins staring into the clouds.

With a grin, Draco pulled a quivering Wrock from inside his shirt, where it had been hiding, and restored it to his shoulder. "Thanks, both of you. This is the best birthday ever!"

--

By the time the end-of-term feast was served, the dungeons were all set up for a party. Slytherin were well in the lead for the House Cup trophy, and there were rumours that Potter and his mates had taken on the DADA teacher – who'd apparently been possessed by Voldemort – and won. Unfortunately, as far as Draco was concerned, said boy had been released from the Hospital Wing shortly before the feast – but that didn't matter. He'd been out of bed after hours, broken about a hundred school rules – by Cassie's estimation, anyway – and was sure to lose Gryffindor points at the last minute.

That's why the actual events of the feast were such a blow. Not only did the Gryffindors' disobedience go unpunished, but it earned them enough points to win the Cup, knocking Slytherin back to a tantalisingly close second place. The punch set up in the common room was vanished by a quick-thinking prefect, and the whole House went to bed early. Even the train ride back to London the next day was quiet and miserable for the Slytherins. At King's Cross, Laura, Cassie and Draco said their goodbyes for the summer. "Keep in touch, OK? We should meet up soon." Cassie hugged them each in turn. Draco glanced down at the shrunken broomstick in his hand – his Wrock was sitting on it as if he belonged there – and grinned. "It's going to be a good summer." Laura was the first to wave and disappear into the crowd. Draco caught sight of his parents and followed suit with a quick goodbye to Cassie, who just stood there for a moment.

"Ready for the holidays?" Severus was blond again when he tapped her on the shoulder and took her arm. She smiled up at the unfamiliar features of her disguised cousin and let him lead her off of the platform to a Disapparition point. For someone who'd been as disappointed as his House when they'd had the Cup snatched away from them, he seemed determined to stay cheerful – and Draco was surely right.

It was going to be a good summer.

**COMING SOON(ISH): **_**Little Bat and the Chamber of Secrets! Watch this space…**_


	27. LB2 Trailer!

**Well, dear readers, it's been a while and I do apologise. However, the first chapter of Little Bat and the Chamber of Secrets is going up tonight – and here's a snippet from the second chapter to whet your appetite. Enjoy!**

_**Little Bat and the Chamber of Secrets: Trailer**_

_Dear Laura,_

_Did you get my last letter? Anyway, when you get this one, please write back just so I know you haven't broken your hand or something. Or if you have, could you get someone else to write to me so that I know you have? I hope your holidays are going well. Mine have so far been uneventful. Do write back soon and send me all your news!_

_Cassie_

No sooner had she sent the letter off with Mopsus and sat back down at the desk than there was a tap at the window. Without looking up from her parchment, she reached across and opened it. "That was quick, you're not telling me-" She glanced at the bird to realise that it was not her pet at all, but a rather haughty-looking Ministry owl with its distinctive, embossed letter pouch. "Oh. Sorry. Grab yourself an Owl Treat if you like… Thanks." The moment she had removed her letter, the owl fluttered across to the bowl of treats, which was somewhat unusual as Ministry owls rarely accepted anything from their recipients, and began rapidly transferring treat after treat into its pouch. Cassie found this mildly amusing, but her attention was drawn to the envelope she had just received. It had a stamp on it.

_Miss C. Prince_

_c/o Miss Eileen Prince_

_c/o M.O.M_

_London_

There must have been wizards working in the Muggle postal service for this to reach her. It had clearly been sent the Muggle way as far as the Ministry, but Cassie didn't know any Muggles. Who could have sent her the letter? She ripped it open, curiosity overcoming her.

_Dear Cassandra,_

_I know you'll be wondering who has written to you. You won't recognise my handwriting, and you know nothing about me. But the fact remains that I am your father._

**That's all you get, I'm afraid, folks! I'll try to update soon!**


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